Relentless Grace

When God Follows You into the Storm

I’ve been there.

I’ve stood at the edge of the storm, soaked and exhausted, wondering if grace had finally given up on me.

I’ve tried to outrun the ache, silence the past, and talk myself out of the calling I knew was from God—because it felt safer to run than to risk again.

I’ve looked for the nearest boat heading in the opposite direction.

And maybe you have too.

But…what if?

What if the storm in your life wasn’t proof that you’ve been forgotten… but a setup for grace to meet you in the middle?
What if God’s love doesn’t wait for your healing to start—but follows you into your chaos, your rebellion, your grief?
What if God’s love doesn’t wait until you’ve got it all together, but walks straight into the mess to find you?

Because here’s the truth:
We all run sometimes.
We all break a little.
We all need a grace that won’t quit.

And the story of Jonah?
It’s not just about disobedience.
It’s about a God whose grace is relentless.

Wait—Who Was Jonah Again?

Jonah was a prophet, someone who was chosen by God to deliver a message of repentance to the city of Nineveh. But Jonah wasn’t interested in offering mercy to people he believed didn’t deserve it. So, instead of heading east toward Nineveh, Jonah booked a boat west—toward Tarshish, the farthest place he could go in the known world. (Classic avoidance strategy).

But God wasn’t done.

A storm rolled in. Jonah knew it was for him. He told the crew to toss him overboard to save themselves. They did. And that should’ve been the end of the story. But instead of drowning, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. He spent three days inside, wrestling with God, his own resistance, and the weight of grace that refused to let him go.

Eventually, the fish spat him out. Jonah delivered God’s message. Nineveh listened. They repented. And God forgave.

Jonah? He was still angry, maybe even more so. Still struggling with the idea that God’s love could reach them. And yet, God stayed with Jonah. Even in his bitterness. Even in his frustration. Even when he sat under a plant, sulking in the sun.

This whole story is less about a man obeying and more about a God pursuing.

Grace Doesn’t Wait on the Shore

Jonah’s story is often told as a tale of disobedience. But it’s just as much a story of divine pursuit. Of grace that refuses to give up. Of love that doesn’t wait politely on the shore.

God sends a storm—not to punish, but to intervene.
He sends a fish—not to swallow Jonah’s future, but to protect it.
And in the belly of a beast, in the dark, in the stink, in the place no one would ever choose—Jonah is finally still enough to hear.

This is where many of us begin our healing: in the wreckage, in the waves, in the storm.
Not cleaned up. Not put together. Not ready.

But surrounded by a grace that has never left.

Trophies of Grace

In Mending the Soul, Steven & Celestia Tracy write:

“[These stories of healing] are not fairy tales, but real, living trophies of God’s grace—proof that God is good and that he heals—anyone, anytime, anywhere.”

That’s the heartbeat of our work at Mending the Soul. We don’t traffic in neat endings or easy answers. We walk with real people, in real pain, witnessing the miracle of relentless grace that refuses to let go.

And it’s not just grace for the victim. Jonah’s story reminds us: there’s grace for the runner, too.
There’s grace for those who’ve made mistakes. For those who are tired of trying. For those whose faith has been tangled up in trauma.

The Dark Isn’t Godless

Maybe you’re in the belly right now.
Maybe it’s dark, and the storm still rages in your chest.

Friend, hear this:
The dark isn’t Godless.
The storm isn’t hopeless.
And your story isn’t over.

Grace is not waiting for you to get it all together—it’s already with you.
Even if you boarded the boat in rebellion, even if the storm was of your own making—God’s love is still there.

Still pursuing. Still protecting. Still redeeming. Relentless as the God Who Loves You

You are not beyond the reach of grace. You are not too far gone. You are not disqualified.

You are, in the words of Celestia Tracy in Explore: A Guided Journey to Being Loved,

“A sacred story in the making.”

So if you’re tired, if you’re running, if you’re caught in a storm; pause. Breathe. And know: relentless grace is closer than you think.

You’re not alone. You never were.
And the God who calls you—He’s the same God who follows you, even into the waves.