Jonah's Whale of A Tale
by Michael Doyle

Jonah and the Whale tells the story
Of how even reluctance comes to glory.
Jonah was a prophet that God spoke through
To teach the  Israelites what to do.

Jonah's life was an illustration
Spoken of for its simple characterization.
To dive into the truth that was told,
Its lessons have played well from days of old.

It is truth compressed about humanity
That moves beyond our limiting vanity.
In the words of Jonah there is reach.
The words spoken into life have a lot to teach.

Lesson one, there is no escape from the Lord.
Wherever you go, you are always moving toward
The lessons and truths that are wisely needed,
And that are best heard and then heeded.

Hurled into the sea, the storm stopped its rage.
In a few words, consequences spill across the page.
Jonah fled to escape the Lord's ever presence.
Yet. he then did find himself confronting God's very essence.

Our first best step is in turning from our sinful ways.
We find this the turning point in our book of days.
When we confront ourselves in our deceits and lying,
The end of our running can seem extremely terrifying.

Uprooting those things that live in the shadow
And must often be abandoned so that we can follow
Our Lord and in giving these up, in our contemplation,
We find God's eternal sanctuary in our redemption.

Calling out to the Lord in our distress,
We find ourselves ready to then address
All the things that we must pass through.
In finding God, we live to do what we must do.

Our darkest night forces us into God's light.
It may seem troubled, but it's a lesson in God's sight.
Keeping our hearts open to the Lord's salvation.
Time will reveal God's truth in His explanation.

Life has its vehicles and passing seasons.
After their space we find the Lord's reasons.
All meant to be to take us to that where
That we are meant to be until we find ourselves there.

Our God is the loving God of grace and second chances
As our lives wind through all their shades and dances
We are called to live our lives for God's will.
In this truth is the essence we call the real deal.

In our repentance, we find God's foundational grace.
Everything done is something that God has put in place.
These are God's mic drop moments of purity and hope
For which Jonah and many others  find hard to cope.

God's compassion acts to emotively form our hearts.
We see this in what is done and then never departs.
It's a pattern learned and kept in accepting grace.
We must let ourselves live and learn this in God's embrace.

Whatever happens, we do not know better.
It is God who forms our lives and even the weather.
The first and last in line gains the day's wage.
Lessons in generosity grace our living page.

(c) August 9, 2026   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved