Instead of listening to God, Jonah runs from God because he doesn't like the prospect of going into hostile territory to teach people a new way. How did that work out for him? He puts a group of sailors in peril, he's thrown overboard, then gets swallowed up by a whale... which all leads to a change of heart when he finally decides to follow God.
We get so caught up in our own desires at times, that we come to a point of being closed to any alternate possibilities for our life. We come to protect what we think is ours, but in the end, if our way isn't aligned with God's way, that which we value becomes rusty and worthless. What we live our life for becomes all for naught. Seek the will of God for your life, and stay out of the whale's belly-- that place of isolation, darkness, and meaninglessness. Love God, love others, and live for a cause greater than yourself.
Today's readings: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27
