Have a Sense of Humor - Bible Journaling

I’m quirky. I admit it.

I’m one of those folks who finds humor in the oddest things. Like avacados…

But I was torn about using a sense of humor in my Bible Journaling. This is, after all, God’s word. I would not ever EVER want to do anything to disrespect that. First and foremost, Bible Journaling is about spending time with God IN HIS WORD. It is very precious to me.

But, I also believe that my art needs to be a reflection of who I am. So, for this entry in February’s series God’s Special Delivery, I went quirky. Okay, you may have to look closely, but I could have just left it as a sketch of a sea creature and water. I didn’t have to add Jonah’s arm sticking out of the fish’s mouth. But it made me laugh.

It also made me think a bit deeper about a story I’d heard since childhood. (We won’t mention just how many years that’s been…) God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. All my life, I’ve accepted that.

But God is God.

He’s parted waters, so He could have sent Jonah to the bottom of the sea and had him walk out on dry land.
He made it possible to walk on water, so He could have had Jonah walk back to shore over the waves.
He sent a sheep on a hike, so He could have sent another boat to rescue Jonah.

But He didn’t. He sent a fish.

And Jonah waited in its belly for 3 days until his attitude changed. Three days sitting among semi-digested meals. Yuck!

But it was an important moment. Jesus spend 3 days in the tomb. Jonah’s adventure foreshadows that event. Sure, they went in for vastly different reasons: Jesus was being obedient; Jonah was running away from God. But they are both prime examples of God’s mercy.

God showed mercy to Jonah even in one of the most blatant examples of disobedience in scripture. He could have let Jonah drown. But God didn’t give up on him.

And He doesn’t give up on me. Or you. His mercy is new every day. And sometimes that includes sending the unexpected to get our attention and change our attitudes.

Action Plan: Take a minute today to stop and make sure of two important things:

If you are running from God in any aspect of your life, it’s time to turn around. He is apt to send the unexpected to capture your attention if you don’t. No sense being caught up in smelly darkness. Start your attitude change now.
Let God use you just the way you are. Don’t stop being genuine to fit into someone else’s mold. He created you to be you. Use who you are to serve and worship Him.

Next week: God sent a simple girl.