We’ve all seen this situation before, or even been in it, a parent desperately trying to keep an impatient 2-year old still in a public place. What’s that word they use sometimes to describe the "two’s" - "terrible"? There’s something in every little child that wants the freedom to run - and will go for it at the first opportunity. My children are no exception. As soon as you turn away for a moment, the typical two year old will start running down isles, throwing food, pulling hair, not realizing that the grocery store or restaurant is not a jungle-gym. So we usually go on the chase, and running after two year old in and out of clothing racks must look pretty amusing. Once we catch the little guy the chase ends, for the moment. It is so funny watching a child trying to get away from his father. You know he’s going to loose, the child can’t possibly run fast enough.

In the book of Jonah chapter 1, a child of God, although not a two year old, was trying to run away from his Father. Jonah didn’t like the assignment that the Lord had given him, to go to the wicked people of Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria - so he tried to run away. Jonah may have felt inadequate to preach to the people of Nineveh. They were a cultured people, with great libraries and a thriving commercial center. Jonah was a Hebrew, and from what we know of him, he had never traveled beyond the confines of his own people. The residents of Nineveh were Assyrians, they spoke a different language called Semitic, a language not common to a God fearing Hebrew. Feeling the pressure of the call Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa where he boarded a ship. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish, attempting to flee from the Lord.

The Lord sent a violent storm to destroy Jonah’s getaway ship. Meanwhile, Jonah was sleeping down below. The captain woke him and the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots, kind of a game of draw-the-straws or pitching stones in order to make a decision, and the lot fell on Jonah. The terrified sailors then find out that Jonah is a Hebrew, a prophet of God, and they asked, "What have you done?" Jonah knew that the storm was caused on account of him running away from his calling. And after some reluctance and prayer the sailors were convinced by Jonah that the only way to save themselves and the ship was to throw Jonah over board. So they took Jonah up and cast him into the sea, "and the sea ceased from her raging."

Here is child of God, on a mission from the Lord, and running from his Father. And just like a child trying to get away, you know his Father is going to catch him, even if it takes a good chase. Could it be that our Heavenly Father wants us to know this story because He wants us to know the individual worth of our callings? Or is it because He knows that even good men, like Jonah, we sometimes feel inadequate when we receive a calling? Or maybe our Father in Heaven knows that no matter how hard we try we can’t run away from Him? Because he will catch us.

Consider the cost of running from God. It cost Jonah his money . . . his sleep . . . his faith in God . . . his testimony to the people he was with . . . it cost him the welfare of those close to him . . . it almost cost the lives of the sailors. And when he was thrown over board, he had to spend three long days in the belly of a fish, which he described as being like being in hell. We may not know the intentions of the Lord when we are called to do something that is difficult, we just DO IT, and we have faith, like young Nephi, that the Lord will prepare a way for us to accomplish what ever we are commanded to do. (see 1 Nephi 3:7)

But like the loving Father He is, He keeps pursuing us. It’s a good thing that parents do catch the child who’s running away - or they would eventually run into disaster.

Isn’t it time to stop running . . . to turn and face our Father . . .to let Him direct us . . . to let Him guide us. . . let Him command us? We have nothing to fear from going and doing as the Lord commands us to do. We have everything to fear from running away from Him.

When it comes to running from God - just ask Jonah - we can’t possibly run fast enough.