It's All Right.

Lately, I'm just OK. Nothing is really that great or terrible. A good place to be in a world of disappointments, struggles, fears, famines, wars, rage, and depravity. I have some constants in my life that always seem to rise up and cause me some mental difficulty - but really, I'm OK. For a woman of great passion, this sits funny.

I've been reading 2Kings. Great stories and fabulous miracles. I have paused now for a bit on the Shunammite woman of chapter 4. She extends hospitality and service to the man of God - Elisha. Not just for a moment, but makes it part of her life and gives him a place in her home. She even informs her husband that this is what they are going to do. She asks for nothing. Elisha wants to give her something. Childless, Elisha tells her she will have a son - and she doesn't even want the gift. An unexpected gift from God. Have you ever had one of those? You question it, even want to reject it. Then the gift is taken from you and you figure it must not have come from your heavenly Father. It's bewildering. The Shunammite woman's son died. So, did God not give her that gift of a child? Was Elisha wrong to bestow such thing on a woman who did not ask for anything?

Her son died in her arms. My grandmother lost her youngest son at 16. Her response was straight out of scripture and reminds me of this woman here in 2Kings. "The LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:20 I know my grandma wept for her son before Jesus. She took the grief straight to the one who placed her in that moment. The Shunammite woman lays her son down on Elisha's bed and goes to find him. Elisha was her connection to the God we now can speak to through Jesus. She didn't even burden her husband with the knowledge of their sons death; or even dump her grief on him. When he asked her why she was going since he didn't understand why she needed to go - her response was as quick and steady as my grandmother's was. "It's all right."

Once before Elisha, her anger and grief mingle and it is clear that she is distressed. But she brought it to the feet of the one who could do something with it. It's all right. Did she know that Elisha would bring her son back to her? Elisha didn't even know why she was there! God didn't tell him - she had to. It's all right. How did she know that!? Was she just saying that? Was she protecting her husband or was she just delaying the inevitable sorrow, so she could scream at the man responsible? She never asked for a son!!

What do you need to yell at God about? What did you never ask for and get anyway? Is it all right with you? Or have you forgotten that Jesus didn't die so that you could hope that God is paying attention to your thoughts instead of hearing them flow out before Him in prayer? Jesus said "In that day you will no longer ask me anything. (he was telling his disciples this) I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 16:23. Talk to God the Father. We don't need to find the prophet, we just need to actually pray.

So if it's all right with you, I'm going to remember to put my frustrations where they belong; in the hands of my maker. Beyond that - it's all right with me.