Running

“Jonah, however, set out in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord. He went to Joppa, where he found a ship about to go to Spain. He paid his fare and went aboard with the crew to sail to Spain, where he would be away from the Lord.” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭

I was listening to a podcast today, it was from back in 2020, I was a bit distracted but she said something about running from the blessings of God. It usually takes something I don’t relate to for God to shake me out of my blind zones. Today was no different. In my mind I questioned why anyone would run from His blessings. I know that I am blessed and although it is hard for me to accept blessings from others, from God I will stand with arms outstretched. I can easily identify His blessings in my life, I can’t imagine running.

From that thought, my mind went to “ I’m not a runner.” I have pretty much declared that all my life. In grade school I did not run, I walked the Presidential fitness test where you ran a mile. But then a contradiction came to me, I was in a running group a few years ago and although I didn’t run a 5K we trained for, I did run at least a mile, and many more when you count the preparation. So I have been a runner.

And then came the shaking from the Lord, “You’ve run from your calling.” I knew He was right. As I have went back through old journals putting them on the blog, I have seen dreams that I thought were fresh are really ones He is reviving in me. This has been something that He has been showing me cleary since the beginning of the year, and likely nudging me towards for much longer.

As I thought about journaling about this I asked for a scripture and the Lord brought me to Jonah. Jonah ran from his calling. He tried to get away from the calling on his life. He ran physically away,.

I have run by keeping myself busy with things that kept me from the overwhelming call that is in my heart. I have invalidated His call with all the reasons I can’t. I have minimized the call by keeping things to myself instead of sharing. I have passed things off in my mind as a coincidence. I have done myself and those I was called to reach a disservice, and it is sin.

Jonah ran, got in a bad storm in the boat, had them throw him over board. Then he was swallowed by a big fish or whale. There he cried out to the Lord in repentance and God heard him. The fish spit him out and God gave him his assignment again.

“So Jonah obeyed the Lord and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to walk through it.” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭

That is where I am right now. I am working to intentionally obey each step I hear to take. I am doing what I should have done years ago waiting for the next instruction. It is a daily choice. It’s not comfortable stepping out. I often have to spend time rebuking the fear, insecurity, and doubt out loud at the top of my lungs to drown out the things I have allowed to get me running in the past.

I am tired of running from God. I don’t need a Jonah experience toI know that He only wants good for me and His plans are always better than me. I can’t change the past. I can repent and move forward in obedience to the steps He has told me to take. God is ready for me to run to Him instead of running away from His call.