Swallowed By a Fish!

“I called out of my distress to the Lord,
And He answered me.
I cried for help from the depth of Sheol;
You heard my voice.
3 “For You had cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the current engulfed me.
All Your breakers and billows passed over me.
4 “So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight.
Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
5 “Water encompassed me to the point of death.
The great deep engulfed me,
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 “I descended to the roots of the mountains.
The earth with its bars wasaround me forever,
But You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
7 “While I was fainting away,
I remembered the Lord,
And my prayer came to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8 “Those who regard vain idols
Forsake their faithfulness,
9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving.
That which I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation is from the Lord.”

When I read Jonah's prayer I am reminded of my own hearts cry for help when I am in despair. 

The Lord has truly saved me from the pit or shall I say, from the "stomach of the fish". 

When I read Jonah's story and think upon his actions, I am reminded just how alike we are, Jonah and I. Scripture clearly tells me what is right and good and so often I am apt to flee from it, when truly I should bind it around my neck and never forget it. God clearly spoke to Jonah and Jonah did not want to obey, so he ran from the Lord. 

Jonah learned the hard way that the Lord cannot be lost or left behind. Jesus was with him in the depths of the sea, in the belly of a great fish. Jonah saw his error and cried to the Lord, thinking that he should surely die soon. Our gracious Lord delivered Jonah and sent him on his way to carry out the command given.

Jonah's story is not only spectacular, but pretty much unheard of. Who can live in the belly of a fish for three days? What fish actually vomits? Well, Jonah did it by the Lord's hand! And thank goodness that this fish did vomit!

As I think about these things I am reminded how the Lord has put people like Jonah and his life story in the Bible to help show us who we are and who God really is. He uses people who seem outrageous and fleshly to help us examine our own hearts. We are outrageous and fleshly, are we not? We may not get swallowed by a fish for running from the Lord in our petty ways, but we are just as much to blame for our sinful actions as the man who did get swallowed by a fish!

Brown Recluse Spiders...In My House!

So, more recently I have identified the spiders that we have been seeing in our apartment for the last six months.

Brown recluse.

Yep, that's what I said.

The day I figured this out, I called my dear husband in tears! I was mortified to have poisonous spiders in our cozy little home.

What made me more creeped out was that we had been living with them for SIX MONTHS without knowing what they were! I also stopped to send a thankful prayer up to heaven for the protection that had been afforded us in our ignorance!

In case you are wondering what a brown recluse looks like, I will give you a description. Brown/tan, with a smaller non-hairy body and long (thinner) legs that also have no hair. They have a violin shape that extends from their head to upper back. 

Here I have a picture...

This little guy was found in a cereal bowl next to our bed (I was sick, so I think that is a good enough excuse for having the bowl there overnight ;) ). At the time I didn't know what he was, so I just picked up the bowl and promptly boiled him in hot water and ran him down the drain.

This guy here...he suffered the same fate after being found in our bathtub AFTER the exterminator sprayed. I boiled a pot of water special for him...

My husband was like, "why didn't you just smash it?" And I was like, "Um, no clean up needed with the boiling water. They die really fast and float down the drain." I dont know, maybe that is morbid and gross, but it was the best I could do at the moment!

So, at this time I am keeping an eye on all the sticky traps and counting every new spider that finds himself ever so unlucky as to get glued there. 

I'm not generally a girly-girl when it comes to spiders...but with them being poisonous, I've been fairly freaked out! Just praying for the Lord's protection as we figure out what to do next!

 

Journal Entry - 12-20-14

"Lord, You are teaching me to be holy are You not? Lord, You are sanctifying me through this aren't You? 

Yes, I know with all my heart that you are using these small hardships to make me ready for Your kingdom. 

Through fire You refine the rock and in great heat the silver comes out of the flame. Those whom You love You discipline. Your children You test.

Through this time of refining, may You give me joy unspeakable and love unconditional! Through anything - pain or sorrow - let me praise Your holy name!"

Amen

This was a journal entry from almost two years ago. I do not remember the particular bitter trial that made me pray this prayer to my Lord, but it rings true even today.