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.