Throwing a Jonah Off the Ship

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great weekend. This post is quite different from what I normally write. I wrote it a couple of months ago, but wasn't sure if I wanted to post it or not. I decided I would post it because it might help someone with a similar situation.

 Sometimes I consider myself too nice for my own good. I have a hard time saying "no" and sometimes try too hard to make everyone happy. Growing up, I had a  "best friend" that tended to take advantage of that. Looking back, I can't believe some of the things I dealt with. I don't want to go too much into detail, but some of the things this person said and did are things that you wouldn't say or do to a friend. I constantly felt like I was being pulled down, but I did nothing about it for years. In my mind I always justified what she did.  
During this time, our pastor taught a message on "Throwing Jonah off the Ship." You don't have to be a Christian to take something from this post because It is a good relationship analogy. The message was good, but it wasn't until years later that it really hit and I applied it to the situation. If you aren't familiar with the story, it is about Jonah who was told by God to go into the city of Nineveh. This city was known for its wickedness and Jonah tried to run from God, instead of going to this city. Instead, he headed in the opposite direction on a ship. Consequently, God sent violent storms. The crew of the ship determined that it was Jonah that was causing the storms, and threw him overboard in hopes of calming things. Immediately the sea calmed.

 When there is someone that is causing a storm in your life, it is okay to "throw them off of your ship." You don't have to be friends with someone who is bringing mostly negativity in your life. I still see this person occasionally, but I keep her at an arms length away. Distancing myself was easier to do after we had graduated high school, but I wish I had done it sooner. Don't get me wrong, we had a lot of good times together, but that didn't outweigh the bad. It hurts that we aren't close like we used to be, but it is such a relief to know that the friends I have now are true friends that want the best for me. 
You deserve people that treat you well and want you to be successful and happy. If you have anyone in your life that is dragging you down, don't be afraid to "Throw Jonah off the Ship." :)
Thanks for visiting!