THE WHALE WHO WANTED TO DO SOMETHING BIG

Today I’ve decided to post one of my short stories from “A Mixed Bag of God’s Grace.” Hope you enjoy it!

MY NAME IS FREEDA THE WHALE. Every day, I swim through the Mediterranean Sea. My flippers strike the water and my dorsal fin keeps me from tipping over. Even when the sun is shining; the days still feel gloomy. Nothing exciting ever happens around here. On sunny days, the friendly sea bass, sand sharks, and swordfish tell me I glisten in the sunlight. They’re nice, and I have good friends, but I want to do something big. I want to make a difference in the world.  

One typical, boring day, thunder roared and lightning flashed. Huge raindrops pounded the water, and I swam toward my favorite cave.  Stanley Seabird flew in my direction. Stanley was the wisest bird I’d ever met. All the sea creatures talked to Stanley when they had problems. Stanley flies close to Heaven and I think He’s one of God’s favorite birds. Stanley dipped low and shouted, “Turn around, Freeda! God has a job for you.”   

The great God, who created me, had a job for me? That didn’t make sense. I couldn’t soar like birds, talk like humans, or race like a horse. I couldn’t do much of anything but float—but Stanley was seldom wrong.

 A streak of lightning sparked off the water and a loud clap of thunder shook my bones.  In the distance, a large boat bounced on the waves. It looked like they were in trouble, so I changed directions and swam toward them.

“We’re going to die!” the sailors shouted, tossing crates and barrels over the side of the boat. “We have to lighten the load.” 

 A man in a long, flowing robe clutched the side of the boat. He swayed back and forth, drenched in the ocean’s spray. “Throw me overboard and the storm will stop. God is upset with me because I disobeyed Him and ran away.”

“We can’t leave you to drown,” an older sailor said. “God will surely destroy us all if we do that.”

 The man in the robe stared up at the dark sky. “My name is Jonah and God told me to go preach to the people in Nineveh, but I ran away.”

 “I’d run, too,” a short plump sailor said. “Those people are vicious.” The ship shuddered, and the short man fell, then slid across the boat’s wet floor.

“Please toss me overboard so the rest of you may live!” Jonah shouted.

My heart pounded against my giant rib cage. What would the sailors do? The boat tossed on the rough waves and water splashed over its sides. Its wooden floors creaked under the powerful wind. The boat couldn’t stay in one piece much longer.

After a few seconds, a couple of men grabbed Jonah’s arms and flung him off the ship. Water splattered in all directions as he hit the sea. The poor fellow bobbed and splashed in the waves, his arms reaching for the sky. His head went beneath the surface, then he popped back to the top, spitting and coughing.

 I swam closer. He yelled and tried to swim away. I opened my mouth and Jonah floated inside, along with assorted fish and seaweed. At least Jonah wouldn’t drown. I might never do anything important, but God would be proud of me for saving this frightened human. I thrust my giant tale out of the water and slapped the surface, sending sparkling droplets flying through the air.

 A huge silver moon hung low in the sky. Stars lit up the night, twinkling like sea glass on the beach at noon. I loved peaceful evenings at sea, but I wished the man would stay still. His wriggling made my stomach ache. Why didn’t God tell me what to do? I didn’t want to keep this human forever.

Three days and nights passed, and I heard the man praying. “Lord, I cry to you from the belly of the fish, with seaweed wrapped around my head. I will go to Nineveh and preach. Thank you for saving me.”

 Suddenly, I knew what to do. God had a special job for this man, just like He had a special job for me. The man had to go to Nineveh and tell the people there how much God loved them and wanted to forgive them.

 The sandy shore sparkled in the morning sunrise. I swam close to the shore, opened my mouth, and spit the man out. He fell on his knees and I heard him thanking God for His love and forgiveness.

 I headed out to sea, my heart swelling with happiness and salty tears pooling in my eyes. I’d finally done something important. I saved Jonah’s life. Because of me, the people in Nineveh would learn about God. I shot a plume of spray from my blow hole.

 A rainbow shimmered in the distance, stretched across the pale blue sky, and I swam toward it. God had used me to help others. My huge tummy tingled with excitement. Obeying God was the most important thing any whale could do.  

So what do you think? Should I post more short stories?

I’d love to hear from you. 

If you enjoyed this story – please forward to your friends.  “A Mixed Bag of God’s Grace” is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, TouchPoint Press, Kindle and KOBO.