What do you do when you feel disconnected?
Suddenly life’s tide has gone out, and you find yourself in an empty space.
No texts in your phone. No friends calling to talk. No plans lined up in your near future. And you wonder why.
Sometimes in life we are given time, or space, or silence, or emptiness. Which statement describes how you feel during that overwhelming sense that you have been muted in a noisy world?
I feel left out because I don’t know what’s going on.
I don’t feel important because people aren’t including me.
I feel forgotten because no one is reaching out.
I feel insignificant because I’m not needed anywhere.
What do you do?
I reach out until I find someone to make plans with and feel better.
I “like” posts and pictures on social media so I can get back in the traffic and be seen again.
I stop. I recognize God’s controlling hand turning down the volume in my life and listen for what He is doing and saying to me.
God turns down the volume in our lives for a reason.
God turned down the volume in Jonah’s life. He steered him away from his own plans. He roused him from his rebellious indifference of sleep. He caused the people around him to throw him out of their lives.
And God got Jonah alone, in a quiet empty space, so they could talk.
Jonah was consumed – with loneliness and silence.
He prayed:
“In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God.
He answered me.
From the belly of the grave I cried, ‘Help!’
You heard my cry.
You threw me into ocean’s depths,
into a watery grave,
With ocean waves, ocean breakers
crashing over me.
I said,
‘I’ve been thrown away,
thrown out,
out of your sight.
I’ll never again lay eyes
on your Holy Temple.’
Ocean gripped me by the throat.
The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight.
My head was all tangled in seaweed
at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root.
I was as far down as a body can go,
and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever—
Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive,
O God, my God!
When my life was slipping away,
I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
walk away from their only true love.
But I’m worshiping you, God,
calling out in thanksgiving!
And I’ll do what I promised I’d do!
Salvation belongs to God!”
Next time you feel the heartache of being left out or alone, think of the belly-ache the whale had! God is up to something. Remember Him. Call out to Him to see where you are on His journey. Then thank Him for turning down the volume so you can hear Him.
No one may be texting you. But God is whispering as loud as He can.
Jenny Maass 