Pick Me
Week Twenty-Five | Fifty-Two 6.28.21
The storms of life are inevitable. Some blow slow, some come swift, and others seem to keep the steady pace of an inhale.
Storms can be destructive.
Storms can be instructive.
Storms can be constructive.
Remember Jonah? The guy that caused a giant storm to rise in the sea, because of his rebellion towards God. A rebellion ultimately rooted in fear that led to running away and jumping ship.
Fear - in all its twisting and turning, unleashing and undoing. Isn’t this the thing at the core of every storm? We become so focused on the darkening clouds of what-if and why-me that we actually perpetuate the howling winds.
Perhaps, just like Jonah’s well-meaning shipmates, we even have friends or perhaps family who try to help lighten the load and lessen the gloom. So we start throwing off the “cargo” - those extra things, those addicted-to things, those good-but-not-best things - and we try bargaining with God.
I’ll do anything, Lord, but not *that thing.
Well it doesn’t work, not for long anyhow. The storm keeps growing, and you realize it’s not just affecting you any longer. The people in your ship are also in grave danger of sinking.
Startled, you wake up and bend low and wave the white flag of surrender ~ not with a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.
Because when God calls your name, you can run but you can’t hide.
So Jonah lets go and answers the call of the Storm,
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea...and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this storm has come upon you.” Jonah 1:12
Pick me.
Two simple words we’ve been saying since we were toddlers. Words we’ve often shouted with glee because we *know the outcome will be exactly as we hope. But what if “pick me” means getting swallowed by a whale ~ and swallowing my pride, so Peace can finally come? What if it means choosing the cross over comfort, so Grace wins? What if it means putting another’s pain above mine, so they can experience the tender, unfailing, deep love of God?
Because yeah,
Storms can be destructive.
Storms can be instructive.
Storms can be constructive.
And sometimes, the storm can even be avoided, if we will just trust and obey.
So may we pray brave, Pick me.
Because no matter what, in quiet or in chaos,
God is with us.
God is for us.
And in His faithful, sometimes whale-of-a-way, we may just get thrown into the sea to settle its roar.
Jesus, He became our Jonah. Willingly plunging into the depths to rescue us from the storm of sin and darkness, fear and shame.
The anchor holds. And all really is calm.
It’s a miracle of Mercy, just waiting to be picked.