Seaweed headgear

 

5 “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me.
Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.
I was imprisoned in the earth,
whose gates lock shut forever." - Jonah 2:5-6

The picture of Jonah struggling in the ocean depths with seaweed wrapped around his head is pretty hilarious, in some ways. Many of us have encountered slimy seaweed while we have been swimming but having it wrapped around our head is next level. 

It speaks of being washed and tumbled in the powerful ocean depths. 

It speaks of finding oneself in the midst of tough times. 

It speaks of desperation.

Have you ever felt like this? How have you coped? It is noticeable how Jonah still finds the courage to pray to the Lord and to ask for help. Is this something we still do?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Wave after wave

The image of waves crashing onto the seashore is a beautiful picture for us all. There is something therapeutic about hearing the waves washing onto the sand or crashing onto the rocks. When we read these words from Luke 1, in a paraphrased version of the Bible, we note that this same image is highlighted. 

"What God has done for me will never be forgotten, 

the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave,
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now." - Luke 1:46-55

Food for thought:

1. What resonates with you as you hear these words?

2. Is there a connection between these words and your Lenten journey?

3. How can this thought change your heart and attitude today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3