The first time these verses became personal to me was when I was in the process of transitioning ministry focus. For several years I focused my life and ministry on youth, children and Christian Education. I vowed that I'd never be a "preacher." I didn't like the position, the pressure, or the pulpit. Yet, in each of the ministries I had served, the "Preacher" resigned and I was left in an interim position. I got fill my role as Associate Pastor of Youth and Education and Temporary Senior Pastor.
After the third time of breaking in a new Senior Pastor and 13 frustrating years of not being able to give full attention to my youth/children/education ministry (not to mention the exhaustion of trying to fill both roles) I resigned my ministry and decided to finish my graduate degree and try to regain my bearings. I had firmly resisted any ministry other than Christian Education as I sought to get close enough to commute to a seminary. It was at that point that God was pressing me into the preaching ministry and placed the verses from Jonah before me.
My wife and I had been in agreement. She didn't want to be "Preacher's Wife." After all, she didn't know how to play the piano. Yet God put these verses on her heart too! We shared our Jonah Syndrome with one another. During this life transition phase we visited a church where a friend of mine served. As we sat down in a Sunday School Class the teacher announced, "We're going to start our study of the book of Jonah today. Open your Bible to Jonah chapter one. Dave (guest ministers always get to read or pray) would you read the first verses please?" My wife and I just looked at each other. By the end of class we had confessed our Jonah Syndrome and went home and prayerfully accepted a preaching ministry.
You'd think that I'd learn from that experience to yield to God's call, direction, plan for my life. Unfortunately, I guess I still Jonah Syndrome. I find myself sometimes wanting to run in the opposite direction of God's call. That's always a bad decision! Running from God always leads to a "whale" of an experience.
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