Lessons of Relationships in the Book Jonah

"Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, 'It is better for me to die than to live.'" Jonah 4:5-8

Back in grade school, going up through middle and high school, there were only a handful of students I got to know. Getting along with friends, thus, was much easier, especially since I did not yet have a strong identity color. 

With time, my self-conscious grew. I grew to have my own likes and dislikes, just like everyone else. As the range of people interaction grew, I learned to get away from others. I learned to let go, ignore, or walk away. I learned it the hard way that it was much easier to let relationships simply be. 

After so many friendships and intimate relationships ruined, the relationship between God and us was seen with a different light. I realized just how much trouble God had been going through simply trying to be with us. All across the Bible, it is God making the relationship work for us. 

In the case for Jonah, God grows a plant to shade over Jonah. He then appointed a worm to destroy the plant. Then brings scorching wind and strong sun to beat down on Jonah. 

I have trouble simply dialing the phone. I have trouble saying sorry. I have trouble saying hello. 

At times I wonder if it is worth battling to keep a relationship going. Sometimes I feel like God leads people away from each other. Then again, I feel like God sometimes does want to see a struggle to hold precious the bonds God had made between people. 

RISE

"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.

Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look upon her; 

now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets." 

Micah 7:8-10

How Great - Chance the Rapper Ft. Jay Electronica & The Lights

I was lost in the jungle like Simba after the death of Mufasa

No hog, no meerkat, hakuna matata by day

But I spent my night time fighting tears back

I prayed and prayed and left messages but never got no hear back

Or so it seemed

A mustard seed was all I needed to sow a dream

How Great - Chance the Rapper Ft. Jay Electronica & The Lights

Coming Back

Last weekend, public doctors in Korea got together for two days in Muju for an annual sports competition. The events consisted of basketball, soccer, swimming, screen golf, ping pong and even Starcraft. There were more, but I was part of the basketball team.

As preparation, doctors in Chuncheon teamed up with those in Chulwon to make a team of 10 players. The first goal was to win the qualifications within Gangwondo, one of the nine provinces in Korea. The qualifications were set to be in July, so the team got together at least once a week to practice, starting early May. 

Although I mostly played the shooting guard position, one player from Chulwon was simply amazing to play any other position. Luckily, I was one of the better ball handlers for the team, so I filled in for the point guard position. 

We had our difficulties, but we managed to pull through in both the qualifications and the nationwide tournament. To explain a little bit of the game, the opposing team played rough. They fouled constantly, but received half the calls. Yet, we broke their zone defense with quick jumpers and fast-breaks. As the last second on the timeclock ticked, the entire team was overjoyed. 

Everyone was frantic in taking photographs. It was wise to hurry to process as most of the players had plans back in Seoul, and with each minute past meant more traffic. 

As I was watching the team run around with big smiles, I remembered the last time I had participated in team basketball. It was during my sophomore year in high school. I had barely made the junior varsity team. It was also the year I had started staying at a friend's house as a year-long homestay by myself. 

The practices were tough. I started getting symptoms of meralgia paresthetica. I had not gotten a single play time and it was already the last game of the season. I still vividly remember kneeling down in the locker room together as a team, reciting the Hail Mary prayer as it was a Catholic high school. It was a cold night, but I was used to warming up the bench.

Then, suddenly, with barely a minute left in the game, the coach actually called me up for substitution. I was in for two whole possessions. With 3 seconds left in the game, I had gotten the offensive rebound, so I threw it back up 5 feet from the basket. The ball bounced around the rim, but never made it through.

Of course, the entire team was cheering on, but something broke inside me then. As we were watching the varsity game, tears filled up and I quickly ran into the locker room. All the hard work, the difficulties in practice, troubles at home, the entire year worth of hardship was thrown along with that last shot of mine. A deep sense of emptiness surrounded me, and emotions simply burst out. I could not hold it down. 

The captain must have seen me crying, for he followed me quickly into the lockers. He did his best to cheer me up, but a sense of defeat lingered within me. 

Flashing back to present day, I had a sense that God had allowed me victory this time around. It really does seem that God waits for us at the place of our defeat, only to have us brought back up victorious. 

Honestly, it was difficult simply driving to basketball courts from where I was. I thought I would be glad everything was over, but I knew I was going to miss it all. 

Basketball, such a love-hate relationship. 

God's Loving Embrace

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 

Luke 7:38-50

There is this vice within me. It has been with me for a long time. I have had my times of fight. I have had my times of defeat. I have had my times of ignorance and my times of chaos.

I had thought I was over it now, but it came crawling back, hurting deep. It was not so much that I had disappointed the ones around me, but more so that I disappointed myself. Honestly, it was embarrassing simply sitting in church. I couldn't look up, let alone sing a single line to a praise song.

Yet, God came gently, consoling my soul with his loving words, telling me that my sins are forgiven. I dear hope that I never fall yet again to sin's depths. I more so hope that I not abuse God's grace.

Some Words of Jesus

"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Matthew 9:2b
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:34b
"Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Luke 7:48,50
"Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:11b

Digging by Seamus Heaney

Digging by Seamus Heaney

Between my finger and my thumb   

The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. 

Under my window, a clean rasping sound   

When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:   

My father, digging. I look down 

Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds   

Bends low, comes up twenty years away   

Stooping in rhythm through potato drills   

Where he was digging. 

The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft   

Against the inside knee was levered firmly. 

He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep 

To scatter new potatoes that we picked, 

Loving their cool hardness in our hands. 

By God, the old man could handle a spade.   

Just like his old man. 

My grandfather cut more turf in a day 

Than any other man on Toner’s bog. 

Once I carried him milk in a bottle 

Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up 

To drink it, then fell to right away 

Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods 

Over his shoulder, going down and down 

For the good turf. Digging. 

The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap 

Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge 

Through living roots awaken in my head. 

But I’ve no spade to follow men like them. 

Between my finger and my thumb 

The squat pen rests. 

I’ll dig with it.