Going to Church

Well, I did it.  I actually attended services at my daughter's church.  I think the last time I was even IN a church was when we had the memorial service for my parents back in 1985.  It has been a very long time.  Yesterday, I wrote about my relationship with God, or my lack of one.  I wrote that I felt like He was throwing me a life saver and that I planned on hanging on to it.  My experience today only proves to me that the Lord truly does work in strange ways.  Today's sermon was all about Jonah & the "big fish".  I never paid attention to the story other than the stuff about getting swallowed by a whale and all that.  But, as I learned from today's lesson, Jonah was asked by God to go to Ninevah and warn the people that He was unhappy with them and would pass judgement should they not change their evil ways.  Jonah, instead, ran as fast and as far from God as he could, and boarded a ship headed far, far away from Ninevah.  When God created the storm that threatened to sink the ship, Jonah ended up being blamed for it and tossed overboard.  The "big fish" took him into his mouth for 3 days and 3 nights, essentially saving Jonah, NOT consuming him.  The point is that we all run from God for whatever reason.  But God is faster and He will eventually catch up and send us the message that He LOVES us, regardless of what we do or how hard we try to ignore Him.  You see, I'm like Jonah.  I have been running from God my whole life.  Losing Barbara has brought me to the brink of despair, but God is pulling me back.  I am so tired of running FROM Him.  Instead, I think I'll try running TO him.  The pastor has 3 more sermons he intends to deliver regarding Jonah, and I'll be in the front row.  No, I'm not a religious nut now.  But I believe in God.