Jonah –
the sea is too wide for you to hide;
no waves can cover your footsteps, no ship
can transport you away from His sight.
Do not run.
The burning sun in heat of day
contains as much His perfect way
as when the sky lights up in flame.
And mercy’s found
in broken ground, when palm trees wilt
and tedium
breaks out in rashes on your skin.
Be still.
The ocean bears such grace
as you, in temper, do not know
and grace is found too on dry roads
and Ninevah, where walls hold skulls.
The broken, ordinary day
is violent with His light.
The sign
for passive hearts that crave a sign,
a miracle to shake their minds,
is dormant in the sea’s womb now
yet breaks soon with its truth.
Obey.
The currents of His day
will take you in. When breakers roar
or water’s still, the same is true
and holds you in its wake.
The Consolations of Writing 