“se convierta (Turned Himself” (Jonah 3:8) [Spanish Jerusalem Bible Series - Jonah sub-series]

You walk across the river ice
Where water’s fast, it won’t suffice
To hold you up as you progress;
“Kweh-keen”, they say – “Turn ’round” – be blessed.

Remorse in dust and ashes will
Bring halt to progress into swill;
But turning ’round, as in this text,
Is step to take – before your next.

And so it was, in days gone by,
The Ninevites, there, on-the-fly,
Just stopped in their remorseful way –
Then turned around – which saved their day.

Like Jonah in the fish’s gut,
Whose Psalm-recital changed his luck,
These folks from Nineveh that day
Heard word from God, did not delay –

But stopped, and turned around in life;
Left off bad conduct, nasty strife
Sincerely, in each heart that day –
So God the pulled back – as is His way.

For words from Prophets speaking doom
Are warnings, often leaving room
For us to stop, then turn from sin
(Rebellion), then new lives begin.

God gave a second chance once more,
Just like he did in fish before
With Jonah (fleeing from his task,
Afraid to do what God had asked).

Now, here again, with Nineveh,
A second chance (so too with us) –
A “God of second chances”, He,
So “Turn around” and elders heed.

What is it, Lord, You ask of me?
What is it that I seek to flee?
Please open hands, and heart, and voice,
That I might make, a better choice.

“Stu, it’s okay, just trundle on;
Soon satan’s antics will be gone,
And you will have all this made clear
(How evil’s ways are always near).

“Folks in your circles are naďve –
They think it quaint, hence don’t believe
In world of spirit (‘Magic stuff’
We foist on kids – ‘tooth fairy’ fluff).

“But no, it’s not – take ‘Arrogance’,
Which higher-ed’s steeped in – perchance
To strut their hour upon some stage,
So long as system pays their wage.

“But, turf them out upon their ears,
Then they can see what’s crystal-clear –
The theory which they speculate
Can’t be lived out, which seals their fate.

“That sound familiar, Stuie babe?
You left on quest – lived life you made,
And found out fast you nothing knew
’Bout what’s involved – what lay-folk do.

“So, sure, you found your quest-ion out
(That culture’s boundaries roundabout
Can’t be torn down – Apostle’s role
I made ’till folks can be made whole).

“Why do you think that Jonah cringed
At task assigned – that task impinged
Upon his culture’s mores, theirs
As well – as he My word declared.

You thought you were one of their tribe,
But they weren’t fooled – gave merry ride
To you each time you spoke your piece;
They heard, “He’s other” – then released –

“You into life out on your own;
Third-culture kid, quite small, your home
But other, nonetheless – in Me;
You saw, first time, reality.”

And now? Where do I go from here?
Now that “Third culture kid” part’s clear?
“Stu, just hang in, it all works out;
That’s what the broom tree’s all about.”

Okay Lord, thanks for this.

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