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"Go to nineveh" by MaryBeth Eberhard (CatholicMom.com) Image credit: By Lukas Rykvalsky (2016), Pexels.com, CC0/PD[/caption] I’m often heard saying that I am a professional at the younger years of parenting. Give me a baby to rock, a diaper to change, a toddler to play puzzles with, a book to read. These I can do with my eyes shut. The older years, though: Phew! They are not for the faint of heart! I am so grateful to be home, walking alongside them during these formative years before they step out as adults. A recent late-night conversation with one left me with words on my heart. I felt the need to share them and he approved. Dear Son, I see the fear in your eyes. You have been called, sent, and the destination seems to offer no relief. You wonder at the Lord’s request. Has he not seen where you have been? Does he not know the sin and suffering you’ve brought upon yourself; the weight of the world’s temptations you’ve let settle on your soul? How can he be asking you? And yet you feel the truth. The reality of the emptiness you feel is glaring back at you and the call becomes more persistent. Go to Nineveh. I know you know the story of Jonah, where God asks him to go and preach to the Assyrians in Nineveh. Jonah goes the complete opposite direction to Tarshish, and on the way a storm hits his ship and all craziness breaks out. Jonah figures it out that it is because he is running from the Lord and saves the rest of the passengers on his boat by jumping off the ship. The storm stops and Jonah gets swallowed up by a whale. He sits in the belly of the whale for a wee bit and figures things out. Whale spits him out. He heads to Nineveh. God takes care of him the whole way there. I’ve always wondered if it really wasn’t about Nineveh at all, but rather what it represented to Jonah. Nineveh was an abandonment to Gods will over Jonah’s, to faith over fear. As we spoke tonight, I was humbled by your honesty and blown away by your maturity. To walk through darkness and pursue the light requires courage, strength and a quest for truth. You son are seeking truth and He is leading you. You are right to be wary, for the path will not be smooth. You will have to slay many demons along the way. You will have to let go of that which seems so safe and familiar. But the call in your heart will lead you and He who calls will always be with you. Remember that! There is no place you can go where the Lord will not be with you. There is no place you have been, no situation, no moment at all, that you have ever been without Him. Once you recognize that momentous gift, your next step should be one of gratitude and trust for you are not alone. But as you travel, remember what happened in Nineveh when Jonah got there: revival! God brought a complete revival to Nineveh. A whole city, probably about hundreds of thousands of people where converted from paganism to worshiping God and all it took was Jonah’s yes. Think about that! Jonah’s yes had magnitudes of impact. There’s one more aspect to this story that you need to know. While Nineveh was an actual place the Lord called Jonah to, it also has a further meaning for us today. Nineveh of old had all its power and beauty but also greed and brutality. We too are surrounded by this. We live in Nineveh. We work in Nineveh. We cannot escape Nineveh. But you hear God’s calling deep in your heart and you are afraid. Maybe you are afraid because you see yourself in the people of Nineveh. Maybe you are afraid because you see yourself not worthy nor ready to be called to this task. None of us are ever ready, son. But I am sure this is not the first time you have heard me say “ If God calls you to it, He’s going to see you through it.” Look back on your life and see the truth of that. You are going to move mountains, son. Your yes will soften the heart of many a hard sinner. Each day with every step and every yes, the you that longs to break free of the chains of this world will grow stronger and one day you will look up to the heavens and praise the Lord and those chains will just fall to the ground. Imagine that freedom! Let that fear that sits in the pit of your stomach make you hungry for change; for new life. Don’t dismiss it. Take this chance and give it everything you’ve got and go, son. Go to Nineveh! Whom you find there may surprise you.
Copyright 2020 MaryBeth Eberhard

About the Author

MaryBeth Eberhard

MaryBeth Eberhard

MaryBeth Eberhard spends most of her time laughing as she and her husband parent and school their eight children. She has both a biological son and an adopted daughter who have a rare neuromuscular condition called arthrogryposis and writes frequently about the life experiences of a large family and special needs. Read more of her work at MaryBethEberhard.com.