“And the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying: Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city…”
How often in your life have you heard God’s voice? Ever? Once? Many times?
For me…It’s a still small voice…very small…I have to listen hard. I hear it if I pay close attention.
When the whisper, the Still Small Voice, calls your name, do you run, like Jonah? Do you ignore the call? Do you do what you want instead?
Or when God calls upon you and ask you to be a messenger, like Isaiah, do you say, “Here I am, God! Send me. Heinini. Shalchayni.”
Me? Well…I don’t always like what I hear. Sometimes the task I’m given feels hard…too hard. I’m a writer and speaker. I’ve been asked to be a messenger, but sometimes I don’t feel up to the task.
God calls, we don’t always listen. We don’t always step up. Sometimes nothing happens. Things just stay the same…not great, not bad. Sometimes, though, when we don’t listen “bad” things can happen. We have to learn to survive in not-so-nice conditions – in storms, in the stomach of a whale.
Maybe we have to work at a job we hate…or we get fired.
Maybe we end up in a relationship that isn’t healthy…our significant other leaves us alone.
Maybe we end up living in a place that doesn’t suit us, or we’re forced to move.
Maybe we don’t make enough money….or we end up in debt.
Our life feels stormy…it feels darky, slimy, scary.
I’ve known this feeling and wondered whether things might be different had I followed through on that one project—that one I felt so inspired to write. Have you ever wondered if things would be different if you’d followed that inspiration you had? That sense of mission…that Still Small Voice that sounded…well…a bit like…you?
The Kabbalists say the Book of Jonah is the story of our lives life. You are Jonah. I’m Jonah, too.
Why? Because Jonah represents your soul. Your soul comes to earth to take a journey—kind of like a ride on a ship—that has a purpose, a mission—only it’s not supposed to be away from God. It’s supposed to be a journey with two navigators, a Captain and a co-captain moving closer together and toward a destination—the fulfillment of your purpose.
The problem is that we forget that purpose, the destination. When God, the Captain, tries to remind us, we often don’t hear, don’t listen or ignore the message. Or we run away from the job we were given. We stop steering the boat, steer in a different direction or jump ship.
All of these actions result in us traveling away from God…and away from ourselves, from that spark within us that has an agreement with God. This leaves us feeling alone in a strange place and often in a bad situation.
Eventually we must begin to heed the call. To listen…Sh’ma.
We have to remember our purpose, our mission…the journey we initially set out upon. A voice must stir from within…or is it from outside of us? Like Jonah being asked,” What is your occupation?” it asks, “What do you do? What have you done? What have you done with your life? Why are you here? Why were you sent? Do you remember? And did you heed the call? “
Take a moment. Can you hear the Captain calling to you? “Arise!”
Sh’ma….listen. Do you hear God calling? Are you being sent? Are you a messenger? Is that your life’s purpose…or is it something else? Will you go and fulfill it.
Shalchayni. Send me. I’m ready.
