Our pastor preached a message Sunday a week ago about Jonah and the whale. You Faithful Readers who are well versed in the Bible know the basics of the story. God told Jonah to go and preach to Ninevah, but this was not what Jonah wanted. He decided instead to board a ship and go to Tarshish.
Unfortunately for Jonah, as punishment for disobeying God a mighty storm attacked the vessel so that the sailors, many of them undoubtedly rough, seasoned seamen, feared for their lives. Jonah told them that it was because of him that the ship was in danger, and that if the men would throw him overboard they would be safe. The sailors tried unsuccessfully to land the ship, but were finally convinced to throw Jonah overboard. When Jonah was gone from the ship, the storm calmed.
Then the “great fish” swallowed Jonah. If you read the book of Jonah, it does not say what type of fish this was, only that it was a “great” fish. (Interestingly, the Bible never said that Adam and Eve ate an apple, only “fruit”.) There has been all kinds of speculation that this could not possibly have happened. One scientific argument is that Jonah could not have survived that long in a fish’s stomach, for the digestive juices would have destroyed him before three days. God intends the Bible to be taken on faith. Lincoln is quoted as saying, “Take all that you can of this book upon reason, and the balance on faith, and you will live and die a happier man.”
The pastor’s sermon was titled “The Second Time”, referencing Jonah 3:1—“And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time . . .” Jonah was willing to do as God commanded the second time, due to his harrowing experienced referenced in Jonah 2:2: “ . . . out of the belly of hell cried I . . .”
The pastor posed a question that has caused me much thought over the past several days—how many second chances has God already given you? What I realized during the sermon is this—there is a fish for everyone. There is also a fish for me. What’s my fish?
God is the author of second chances. After all, Jesus said in Matthew 18:22 that we were to forgive our brother who had wronged us “seventy times seven”. Unfortunately, mankind is not so generous.
How many friendships have ended because one or the other was unwilling to forgive a wrong, even if unintentional? How many are unwilling to let their friendships be restored, grudgingly vowing that they can never be the same again?
I am thankful this holiday season for the friends who have weathered the storm of friendship throughout our lives. I have been privileged during the past several months to maintain friendships with old elementary school and college chums. There is not enough time or space to list the friends I’ve had for decades with whom I have been able to maintain or renew acquaintance this calendar year. Two of my dearest college friends have maintained contact consistently since I graduated in 1987.
How important true friends are, for life guarantees that a fish, indeed several fish, are waiting to swallow us up. I’d much rather spend my time in the “belly of hell” with a good trustworthy friend by my side than be like Jonah, in the darkness alone.
Take time this week to reach out to a friend who has become distant. Sometimes life intervenes and keeps us from fellowship with our friends, but what can be better this Christmas season than to renew “auld acquaintance” with those who have meant so much in our past. Remember, it is our past relationships that have made us the people we are today.
A friend once told me that many people were jealous of our friendship and would love to destroy it. Sadly, the envious ones didn’t have cause to worry, for we destroyed our friendship quite well without assistance from anyone. I leave you with this thought:

The only difference in FRIEND and FIEND is the loss of one letter.
Work hard to keep the “R” in your friendships.