Jonah_ my deep thought for the night

Forget about "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader", I'm just busy trying to keep up with my toddlers.  They teach me something wonderful every day if I will take the time to learn! I am completely guilty of skimming through the Bible stories that I read to my kids without really even hearing the words.  Audrey, my 3 year old, has me reading through the same children's story book Bible over and over and over again.  I think she's on to something.  Tonight we read about Jonah for about the 10th time this year and I had a thought.  :) I've always thought of the whale (big fish, whatever you want to call it) as a punishment.  And in a way it was, I mean that is seriously gross to be swallowed by a whale! Certainly it was no prize, but as I read about Jonah telling the sailors to throw him over the side of the boat, I found myself realizing something for the first time.  Jonah did this expecting to die.  He had to have thought that he would drown in the stormy sea.  I've heard the story so many times and knowing the final outcome,  that I have failed to really see the story from Jonah's perspective.  He wasn't planning on swimming to shore, getting picked up by another boat, or someone throwing him a floatie, and unless he was just a complete nut it never occured to him that a whale would come along and gobble him up.  He thought God wanted him dead.  The whale was a wonderful, albeit, smelly rescuer sent by a loving God.  Sooo..... I'm thinking some of the "punishments" we endure thanks to the lousy decisions we make (surely I'm not the only one who does stupid things),  are really just a big smelly whale :), punishment yes! but also the consequences and corridors that God takes us down to get us where He wants us to go. And the good Lord knows I can use all the direction He will give me!