The Shunammite Woman

My husband and I live in Shuhem. We were not rich, but we were happy and well off. My husband was well respected in the city. I notice one day that a prophet Elisha passed by our house often as he traveled. Therefore, I asked my husband if we might make a room for him to stay, with a bed, a table and chair for him to us. My husband agreed. Elisha was a Godly man and wise. We love to listen to him teach when he was here.
Grateful for the room and food, he asked me one day what he could do for me. Did I need him to speak to the leaders, and ask a favor? Did I need him to ask the guards to protect our lands? I told him we were fine. I had no needs I was content. Wanting to bless us, he talked to Gehazi, his servant, and told him to find out what could be done for us. Gehazi, told him that my husband was old and I was yet to have a child all we had would be for nothing without an heir. So, He blessed me and told me I was to have a child. I beg him not to lie to me and not to tell me so if this child would not become our heir. He said it would be and it did come to pass in the normal time a son was born.
When my son was still a boy, he went with his father into the field to work harvesting the wheat. The day was hot and the boy fell down crying, “My head, My head” The workers brought him to me. I sat rocking him in my lap and placing cool rags on his head. His breathing became shallower and shallower until I could feel it no more. His life had slipped away. I was not ready to give him up and I remembered Elisha promise from God.
I told the servant to put my baby in Elisha bed, and close the door. I told another to get me a donkey for I must run to the man of God. You see he was my only hope. My husband asked why I need see him, as it was not Sunday or a Feast day. I told him so that all would be well. I drove as fast as I could to him.
His servant saw me coming from the distance and ran to met me. He asked what was wrong but I would not slow down for him. I need to reach the one that could help me. I told him all was well.
When I came to the Man of God, I fell down at his feet. Gehazi tried to pull me away, but Elisha told him to leave me alone but I was troubled by something. I reminded him that I had not ask him for anything and when he promise me an heir that he would not deceive me.
The told his servant to run before us and take his staff and place it on the boy. He warned him not to stop for nothing. Then Elisha and I headed back to the house. When we arrived Gehezi said, “The boy has not awaken.” Elisha sent everyone out and closed the door, but you could hear him praying for the boy. Then I heard the boy sneeze seven times, and I run in to grab him. I thank Elisha for giving him back to me and restoring to me God’s promise. God is faithful to keep his promise, and I am blessed because I honored God’s man.

I too have had to cling to that promise hope given by God. The Lord gave me Psalm 113:9 (He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children.) My body went toxic and the doctor told me that I would likely have a stoke or die if I did not abort. We both lived. Then again, when that child turned into a teenager and I found her unconscious, lips and fingertips blue. It is hard to watch them sticking a breathing tube down your child throat or wait for days to see if they will ever come off the ventilator. All you can do is cling to the promise of God and you are so grateful when that promise comes to pass. The doctor told me to put her away. I did not listen. It been ten years she is functional if not yet completely whole. And I am still cling to the promise that she will have life worth living.

Some are asked and even harder task without knowing the reason. They have to see a child die.
My daughter best friend stayed with us off and on the last few year of her life. She was a sweet, joyful, wonderful and precious child. Her Mom, divorced, did the best she could to balance time to sit by her daughter bed, and work to pay the bills for the medicine. Her Dad stole her leukemia and pain medicine to sell, and at one point pushed her down stairs breaking her hip. The doctor has tried but never found a perfect match and so the two bone marrow transplants did not take. We watched as she wasted away to nothing because she could not keep anything down or in. We held her hand and try to make her laugh when the doctor’s test were so painful everyone cried. And, when the doctors told us it had spread and the growth was choking off her heart a part us all died. We begged for it to be us not her for it would be easier to bear. And like her Mother we knelled and cried at a grave that came way too soon and ask why her, why now.
I have gotten out of my hospital bed against doctor’s orders for bed rest to walk across the room and hold my neighbor. Taking the phone from her and trying to hold back the tears enough to finish the message to her husband that one of the twins was dead and they were about to taking her in for emergence surgery in the hopes to save the other. They had tried for years and this was the second invetro attempt.
I have held a dear friend husband and cried with him, went his wife miscarried and their dreams died. She was supposed to keep her baby, while the doctors had told me that I would lose mine. I wondered would the baby have been deformed or would she have died. At the same time, I watch helplessly as another aborted a child, and asked why.

At time like these all we can do is hold on to each other and cry. There are no words, and we have no answers. As the pain lessens, we look to God for comfort for He too lost a child. With time, the tears grow fewer, but never truly go away. And we must trust that God is good and unlike us He knows the answers. The miracle is that we don’t have more days with them, but that God trust us enough to grant us even one. They are His children first and only loaned out to us. Good people are taken away, but no one understands. Those who do right are taken away from evil and given peace. (Isaiah 57:1-2) Like us, God looks at the hurting and say if I could trade places I would, but He can and He did. When the limit He has set for them to bear have been met, sometimes He gives completes the healing and gives rest from the pain. Not ours but theirs. It does mean that we are not loving, caring parents only that He is better. We may not understand the why until later.

Heaven is filled with children running, laughing, dancing, jumping rope, and playing tag in the streets of gold. They are swimming in the river Jordan, fishing on it banks, and making mud pies on it shore. They picking flower from God’s garden, take piggyback rides on the lion, and pet the lambs. In the grassy pastures, they are chasing balls and flying kites. They are playing hid and seek in the clouds. Our earthly angels are playing ring around the roses with heavenly angels. Their praise and songs filling the sky. When they tire of playing, they run and jump into their Father arms and curl up for hug and story, safe and whole. They are free from hospital bed, needles, and missing limbs. They do not know the disease, destruction, or depravity of this world below. And when we catch up with them they will have a million stories and dreams to share with us and we will have eternity to listen and get to know them.

Kathy Barnes
07-02-10