I Want To Be A Whale!

I want to be a whale. Not literally, that’s for sure. We all know the story of Jonah and the whale. Jonah was a regular guy, like you and me, when God gave him specific instructions. And he did it…eventually. It took a horrible storm and getting swallowed then spit back up by a whale for him to do it, but he did, finally, do it. What about the whale? Sometimes, when you are trying to teach your 4 year old about obeying, you need to look at things a little differently. Imagine, here is this whale, swimming around, minding his own business, when God says “Bart,” (because God has a plan that only you can do, no matter who or what you are) “Do you see that man floating in the water over there? I want you to go swallow him up.” Now, did the whale question or tell God something he already knew? “Are you sure God? I don’t usually eat men.” Did he worry? “What if he gets stuck in my throat?” No. He swam out on faith and did what God told him to do, because he knew that God had a plan and would take care of him. If that wasn’t enough, a while later, God said “Bart, I want you to swim to shore and spit that man back out.” Again, did he question? “What? I just swallowed him. Now I am supposed to spit him back out again?” Or Worry? “If I get that close to shore, I’ll get stuck. What if I don’t’ make it back?” Or doubt? “Maybe I wasn’t supposed to swallow him in the first place...I thought that was what God had said, but maybe not…” What did the whale do? He swam to shore and spit the man back out. No questions, just obedience. So my last question to Ashton this morning as he was getting out of the car to go to school was, “Ashton, are you going to be Jonah today? Or are you going to be a whale?” And his answer was a smiling, loud and proud “WHALE!” So I got to thinking as I got back in the car, listening to Ashton as he walked away singing “I’m gonna be a whale today. I’m gonna be a whale today.” I think I want to be a whale today too.
~by Avie DeMorat