Jonah and his whale

Moments of Wellness with Danette Vernon

Many of us are familiar with the story of Jonah. God orders him to spread the unpleasant news, to the people of a certain city, of their up and coming destruction. Jonah finds this assignment a bit much, and takes off.  He manages an escape — he thinks — by setting sail in the other direction. He doesn’t get far however, as God sends a mighty storm, and in the end Jonah is thrown overboard to calm the seas before everyone on board perishes. Jonah is saved from drowning in the waves, in a manner of speaking, by being swallowed by a whale. And it is there in the quiet of the dark of the whale, that he changes his mind, and therefore changes everything.
We ourselves are much like this, we run off from what is planned for us, or what we ourselves hope for, in the “maybe” of tomorrow.
Why? The stuff of dreams requires giving up the old, for the new, which can feel daunting, overwhelming — and can even be met with great  resistance from the very people who we feel love us the most. Our father, who has watched us a with a critical eye through the years, still finds our ideas, our dreams, wanting of any proper substance. “Wait,” he says, “till the grandchildren are a little older, to spend on money on such a cockamamie scheme.” Our children, grown into adults themselves, may set their feet against us falling in love, or marrying again, can’t we give “mom” yet another try? Maybe she’s ready to give up the “pool boy,” that she found so attractive, and “the family” can be back together again. “Wait,” they say.
But how long can we “stay at the dock” betting against the old adage, “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what great ships are built for?”
And what makes for the “tipping points” wherein we are fueled for the future with a passion?
One, when we start to believe that all that befalls us is for our greater good. How so? When our belief system shifts, we will no longer need commiseration when something “bad” happens, or we “feel” really bad. As we now recognize these times as the call of the Phoenix, the bird of desire that arises from the fire of our destruction.
In fact, we can echo Kevin Trudeau, a well-known speaker on the making of life changes, and say to ourselves, “I have no idea how, but this will work out to my advantage. In fact, something outstandingly good will come of this!”
This simple statement can give us the quiet space Jonah found in the whale, to change our minds, and therefore change everything. And we will be ready for the “next step” in finding our dreams.

Therapeutic Solutions: Offering a unique approach to your active health care needs using a variety of healing modalities, nutritional and wellness coaching to empower you to a new state of health and well-being. 73 Sams Point Road, 524-2554.

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