There Must Be Something More

40 | Love Surrounds Me Still

Meredith resumed her story during lunch. 

"So," I said. I set the tray down on the table and eyed her across from me. "Tell us more of your story."

"Yeah," Samuel grinned excitedly.

Meredith took a big bite of her falafel sandwich and gulped it down before talking. And then she started again, "So I went inside the church. Which was so... how do you say it? Because it definitely wasn't coincidence."

"God-willed," I suggested. She nodded.

"God-willed," she repeated. "People were on their feet singing songs of praise and worship. I knew it already since I grew up going to church. I rushed past the aisles and included myself with many people so I wouldn't be seen. And as I anxiously looked around for the cops, I recognized songs I had heard from my childhood. I knew the words well and what they meant. At that time, I knew God set it on cue, the song was On and On by Housefires. 

"The line went, 'Where can I run from Your presence? Where can I flee from You? Even if I hide on the highest mountain, You are there'. I didn't pay much attention to it at that moment, all that was in my mind was getting away from the cops. I thought of Mike and all my other friends, running away to places I had no idea where. I also thought maybe they've been caught and they'd rat me out. Maybe once I get home the cops would be waiting at my house. I was so worried that it was all I thought about till the praise and worship ended and we all took a seat.

"And then a man came up the altar. He introduced himself; his name was Pastor Greg Jenkins. Pastor Jenkins talked about the book of Jonah. And I froze. I knew the Book of Jonah really well. It was one of my most favorite stories from the Bible growing up. He talked about the story of Jonah."

"What is the story of Jonah?" Samuel asked.

Meredith smiled. "God calls Jonah to proclaim judgment to Nineveh, but Jonah resists and attempts to flee. He goes to Joppa  and boards a ship bound for Tarshish. God calls up a great storm at sea, and, at Jonah's insistence, the ship's crew reluctantly cast Jonah overboard in an attempt to appease God. A great sea creature, sent by God, swallows Jonah. For three days and three nights Jonah languishes inside the fish's belly. He says a prayer in which he repents for his disobedience and thanks God for His mercy. God speaks to the fish, which vomits out Jonah safely on dry land.

"And that's when Jonah obediently prophesied against Nineveh and the people there were saved.

"And at that moment, two years ago, I was so struck by the story. A baseball bat could not have hit me harder than that event did. And one verse rung in my head over and over. It was in Jonah chapter three verse nine: "Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from His fierce anger so that we will not perish."

Meredith wiped her eyes and sniffled. "And then Pastor Jenkins said, 'If you're that person tonight. If you feel like Jonah and you've been running away from God. This is your sea creature. God has sent this very day, this very hour, this very second for you to have a chance with Him. For you to have the privilege of repenting of your sins and finally accepting Him into your life. You've been running away too long. You've been riding the boat to Tarshish and the winds have been rocking your sails for too long. What I mean to say is, God has been trying to get your attention and you've been rejecting Him and now there are storms in your life. But now you're led inside a sea creature. 

"This church is your sea creature. God has called you right now to believe in His Son and repent of all of your sins. Don't make it more than three days. Decide to do the right thing right now and your life will follow His right direction. Don't let yourself be blinded forever. This is the truth right now. God is offering it as a gift. A Gift that will never expire, and will always be faithful. Jesus.'

"'But I don't deserve that gift,' I thought. And then Pastor Jenkins said, 'You might not deserve the gift of Jesus, but He sure does deserve you. And why? Because He loves you much more than you could ever ask or think. And He deserves to be with the one He loves. You. It says in Ephesians chapter three verse eighteen: may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.'

"I kept weeping and weeping in my seat. I couldn't believe it. After all I've done, after every humiliating sin I did before God, after He's known every single thing I did, He still loves me like no one else ever could. He was still waiting for me this whole time. This whole time I didn't even know I have been like Jonah, running away from His voice and what He's called me to do. And then Pastor Jenkins said a verse. In Ephesians chapter three verse nineteen: May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 

"It is too great to understand fully. That's what clung to my mind like wallflower sprouting from an old abandoned wall. And that was definitely true. I was hurt, abandoned, and betrayed by people I loved. And the ones who loved me I hurt, abandoned, and betrayed--mostly Grandpa Chuck. But the wallflower--which is Jesus--filled up the cracks with color and life. And that's what happened to me. And I let the wallflower spread and fill all the cracks.

"And I heard the line from On and On, 'Even if I fall to the deepest darkness, love surrounds me still'. Pastor Jenkins asked everyone who were willing to accept Jesus into their lives and repent of all of their sins to come up front. I did, of course. I was weeping so much. That was the best day of my life. And that's when I met Steven again and he told me he was glad I was back in the ministry. I also saw Grandpa Chuck there. He told me he was the one to put the pamphlet in my bag that's why he had it in the morning. He also told me God's Word for him for that day was in first Corinthians chapter two verse nine: That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." He had been praying for me for the past year to see the truth. And that was God's surprise for him!

"And he also explained why he had called me the typical teenager before. Because he saw that I had a broken and messed-up life. I now learned that I was wrong. Everyone was typical--everyone who wasn't a believer. They were all typical in one thing--they're lost. And also, the typical thing about us believers is that we are saved by Grace."

And the bell rang. Everyone got up from their tables and started to saunter outside the lunchroom.

I said good-bye to Meredith and Samuel. I couldn't stop thinking about Meredith's story. And I couldn't stop smiling at how powerful God is.