You may be familiar with the story of Jonah—the prophet who ran away from God’s call and refused to love the people to whom God sent him. While it’s unlikely we’ll spend three days and nights in a fish’s belly, we might have more in common with Jonah than we realize.

In her recent article, Jenny Hietbrink reflects on a difficult season in her church and how, through Jonah’s story, God revealed the bitterness growing in her heart. She, like Jonah, didn’t want to love the people God put in her life.

Maybe you can relate. The good news is that our stories don’t have to look like Jonah’s. We can let go of our bitterness because, as we see in Jonah’s situation, God doesn’t only pursue the lost but also the hurt, the broken, and the bitter. And he invites us to pursue others too.