jonah days

My very favorite movie/book series ever is "Anne of Green Gables."

If you've never watched it, well, stop your life right now and go and do so...so your life can be complete.

Ok, that may be a little overly dramatic but still, its wonderful.

Perhaps the reason that I love the character of Anne Shirley so much is because I see myself in her. She too has a bit of a flair for the dramatic.

Today as I trudged through my day, nothing particularly awful happened but I was over it. My body was weary and sore and my head was pounding. I woke up this morning feeling like I hadn't even slept at all and I felt a bit like I was chasing my tail all day at work.

As the day wore on I couldn't help but think of Anne.

In the second movie, which covers Annes young adult years as a teacher, she has a day that absolutely nothing goes right. Anne has a bit of a genius for trouble. Suffice it to say after some public humiliation, chasing a cow through a muddie potato field and some issues with a feller, she gives way to tears in her room because, "It's such a Jonah day."

Praise the Lord I didn't have to chase any cows, but as I fumbled through this day it settled upon me that I was having a bit of a Jonah day of my own.

Now at this point, if you are a regular reader, you may be thinking to yourself, "well this is all very nice but I thought she said she was going to talk about what she was grateful for..."

Here it is.

I am grateful for Jonah days.

Even though we don't love them while we are in them, hard days can do many things.

They reveal our character and help us grow. When we are pressed, we can see who we are by what flows out of us. We also learn in those moments exactly where to turn to when we are struggling. We may not choose right every single time, but slowly as we walk this road with Jesus we will learn to lay these hard days at His feet. Just that simple act will shape and grow us.

They show us how far we have come. I'll be honest, today, I could have laid in my bed all day. I had this conversation with my coworker at lunchtime.

I meant it. More than anything I wanted to do NOTHING. I didn't want to run, drink water, write this blog or take ONE MORE BITE of healthy food. I know that was the enemy, but guess what? On this Jonah day, when I felt like I simply COULDN'T EVEN, I ran, drank water, ate healthy and here I am, writing these words. (#growth) One month ago you might have found me hating myself with a slice of pizza in my hand.

The last thing I will point out that I am grateful for about Jonah days is very simple.

Days like this teach us the grace of our Lord. Yes, I ran, drank water, ate healthy, worked out and all the things I am supposed to do each day. But I ran shorter than I wanted to. I repeatedly forgot how much water I had guzzled. I ate my lunch for breakfast, my breakfast for lunch and ended the day with half a bag of skinny pop, some gluten free-sugar free-egg free-nut free-soy free chocolate chip cookies (Because I NEEDED something sweet) that left an after taste in my mouth, some turkey breakfast sausage, and an apple for dinner. Not my most victorious showing where healthy eating is concerned. But ya know what? That's ok. God's grace means that He honors my broken efforts. 

Tonight, though my legs feel like they weigh a thousand pounds and my head is pounding. Though I didn't run as hard as I wanted to or eat any deep greens with my dinner. I can go to bed smiling that even on the Jonah days my Lord is working.

One last thought. Without the Jonah days...we wouldn't be able to recognize the amazing days. The days we take for granted. We need brokenness to recognize wholeness. We need sorrow to recognize joy. We need clouds so we can cherish the sunshine...

As sweet Marilla said as she hugged the sobbing Anne Shirley close to her, "Jonah days come to everyone." 

Now, if plum puffs were only gluten free...(If you don't understand that I am not sure why you are still reading this RUN and get the movie!) :)