Arise, Go, and Give His Message

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

John 3:1-4

I still remember exactly where I was sitting on that June day in 1994. As a homebody, the idea of going away to summer camp, even for a week, was daunting. But with a gaggle of other girls from Dallas, I embarked on one week away from my parents at a faith-based summer camp. I was placed in a cabin with two college-aged counselors. One of them was named Michelle. I don’t remember much about her beyond having blonde hair and attending Texas A&M. I haven’t seen or talked to her since that week in 1994, but the role she played in my life is a foundational part of my story of faith.

One night after the large group meeting, Michelle and I sat on the stairs that led to the camp gathering spot. On those stairs, I prayed to receive Christ as my Savior. Michelle walked me through the prayer, and I remember seeing tears rolling down her cheeks.

Nine summers later, I returned to that same summer camp after my freshman year at Texas A&M. I longed to share the message that had been shared with me years ago. For two months, I had the privilege of stepping into Michelle’s shoes for dozens of young girls who weren’t much different from my timid 10-year-old self. Fast forward to the summer of 2024, and I was sitting with my own son on those same stairs at the same camp. He had come to claim Christ as his own that very summer.

The prophet Jonah was reluctant to go to Nineveh. He rebelled. He rejected the Lord’s mission and denied His word. Yet in His sovereignty, God moved towards Jonah again...and again…and again. The power of God’s word is unstoppable. In His sometimes tough and always tender mercy, the Lord uses all His means of grace to accomplish His purposes for those He has called by name. The Lord will save whom He will save…and He uses people to accomplish His purposes. For Nineveh, the Lord used Jonah, a stubborn prophet who lacked compassion. For Ann, the Lord used a young college student with a love for Jesus.

Today, my husband and I are raising our boys in the community where we both grew up. What does it look like to be a missionary right here where we’ve been planted? Who are my neighbors? Who cuts my hair? Who is the girl behind the counter at the coffee shop who knows my name and remembers my order? Does she know Jesus? Could she come to know Him through me? Wherever we’ve been planted, the Lord calls us to live in and through Him. It’s an incredible privilege to be used by God as He saves His people. Wherever Michelle is today, I pray that she would remember the joy of being used by the Lord to bring young girls to Jesus. And wherever we are today, I pray that we would know the joy of arising, going, and giving His message.