How Jonah helped me

It was the wee hours of the morning and I forgot to pray. I specifically noted mentally that I would have a heartfelt discussion before I fell asleep tonight.

I no sooner got my barrings and decided to pray. I knew what others alive with me on earth would think was best, butI needed to know what I in lopsidedly thought. I nearly determined a course of action which really made sense and explained why I felt like I did and how to fix it. Then the thought came to me directly, "What is the point of praying if you already have the answer? Do you want a greater perspective? One not tainted by the instant?" So, I stopped mentally plotting and "listened". And with many realizations came one about Jonah(cause that is What my lesson was on last week). I asked why the kids thought Jonah was in the fish 3 days. I was suprised by the answers. The one I was expecting was that they realize it was a shadow of Jesus Christ.

That is what I thought. a type or shadow
Cause that was how I think, butthatis not how others think.

A wise man commented once how teachers always know the answer before a question is asked and they usually take answers until the conclusion they wanted is reached. One Christmas I gave a great lesson on the actual Christmas story. Then, to leave my class the students needed to tell me one thing they learned from having had my lesson.

It amazed me the sorts of things the kids honestly shared. The one that stands out in my mind was a child telling me that in Israel kids were allowed to sleep on the roof. I did not even know that.. Huh? I had to reread the manual to find it. I suppose we all have different insights making the gathering of opinions before deciding is.    so important.

So, a type is what I thought and it was a good thought. It is true that we all have different strengths and when coupled with different strengths we feel better. My job being a prime example. It was not the work that made me so blah, but the pairing.

It is truly no definite that a player is good or bad because the orchestra is so terrible. I have been the worst trombonist in extremely great orchestras and the best magnificent trombonist in mediocre orchestras. Of course I enjoyed being a part of something amazing, but others might prefer to be the big fish in a little pond.

So, my admonishment was to not choose the action but the consequence which might seem counter intuitive to those around me and even myself. My father said, " Don't give up what you need most for what you want right now".

I have no clear idea of what I will want eternally. But, I believe God does and that he is powerful enough to help me if I ask and truly desire it.