Nameless Woman of Faith

(I have been thinking about the Shunammite woman a lot lately. I admire her on so many different levels. Because her name is not mentioned, I admire her story even more; not sure exactly why. I wrote this devotional quite some time ago but her story never grows old.  Nameless to us, yet known by her Father...)

II Kings 4:16 (ESV) And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.”  And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.”

Has God ever given you a promise that you hesitated receiving because you felt you were being set up for a disappointment?  Let’s take a look at a non-descript woman, referred to only as a “Shunammite woman,” and see what it looks like when God gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

We don’t know her name, her age, or her body type; yet as we read about the wealthy Shunammite woman in II Kings, we get a first-hand look into her heart and into her incredible faith.

She lived at a time when Elisha, the prophet, walked the earth.  Elisha was a mighty man of God who had been given a double portion of his predecessor, Elijah’s, spirit.  

Whenever Elisha passed through Shunen, the town where the Shunammite woman lived, she and her husband, recognizing him as a holy man of God, would invite him over for dinner.  One day she asked her husband to make a room on the roof with a bed, table, chair and lamp so that whenever Elisha passed through town he would have a place to stay.  

Elisha was so touched by her generosity that one day he asked her what he, in turn, could do for her.  

Because she was wealthy, there was little she desired that money couldn’t buy – except a child.  

Elisha said to her, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.”  And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” (IIKings 4:16)  The Message Bible translates her response as, “Don’t play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies.”  In other words, don’t set me up for a disappointment because you have just touched on the one thing that is so out of reach that I dare not let myself hope or dream about it.

The Shunammite woman gave birth to a son about a year later, just as Elisha had spoken.  However, one day as he was out with his dad in the fields, his head began to hurt, so he was taken to his mother.  She held him on her lap until noon, at which time he died in her arms.  Carrying him up to Elisha’s room, she laid him on the bed.

Then the Shunammite woman did something out of the ordinary.  Something that she was unaware would land her, nameless nonetheless, in the Holy Bible, in the book of Kings one day.

She didn’t fall in a heap on the floor and curse God for giving her the desire of her heart and then taking it away.  She didn’t call her close friends to comfort her.  For that matter, she didn’t even call her husband in from the fields to comfort her.  

She determined that the only person she could go to for help was the holy man of God, who had told her that her dream would be given to her in the first place.  So, she had a servant saddle up a donkey and said to him, “Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” And with the determination of a woman not willing to believe or accept what her eyes perceived to be truth, she took off in search of Elisha.

Elisha saw her coming from a distance and sent his servant to ask her if everything was all right.  She did not wish to share her news with the servant.  She went straight to Elisha.  She dropped to her knees and held onto his feet.  When Elisha’s servant tried to push her away, the man of God stopped him.  Once she shared her news with Elisha, he immediately sent his servant to her house to lay his staff on the child’s face.  

But that wasn’t an acceptable solution for the Shunammite woman.  

She said to Elisha, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” (IIKings 4:30)  So Elisha arose and followed her to the house.  The servant was not able to bring the boy back to life, so Elisha arrived and prayed to the Lord.  

In the end, the Shunammite’s son’s life was restored to him.  Elisha said to her, “Pick up your son.”  She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground.  Then she picked up her son and went out.” (IIKings 4:36&37)

There are times when we receive a promise from God, yet in the process of the promise being fulfilled, we are faced instead with a dream that appears to be dead.  At those times, we must decide how we will respond to our situation.  We have options.  Will we curl in the fetal position and give up?  Will we call our friends to comfort us?  Or, will we run as fast as we can to the feet of Jesus, trusting Him regardless the outcome of our situation, refusing to let go?

In the middle of a dream, that by all appearances has died, He is waiting for us.

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote'

Today’s Prayer:  “Father, today I am running to You, the only source of true life.  I will not slacken my pace, for only You know the deep desires and the deep sorrows of my heart.  I cannot run to another for answers.  Truth is given to me when I bow to the ground in Your presence and hold onto Your feet with all of my strength.  I will not turn back in my pursuit of You.  I will persevere in spite of what my eyes see; even when my situation appears to be impossible.  You give life to the dead and call things that are not as though they were.  I know that You work in all things for my good.  Even in the pain of disappointments and in the darkest of canyons, I will hold onto You.  Please hold me tightly, Father, so my grip does not loosen, and I won’t fall away from You.  Thank You for the promises You have spoken to my heart.  I love You.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.”

Termination Dust

There is a term familiar to Alaskans used often this time of year, mumbled quietly, eyes gazing toward mountain peaks: “Termination Dust.”

By definition, termination dust refers to a “light, high altitude snowfall that indicates the end of summer.” 

Although the term is a weather-chat favorite among Alaskans, grasping the reality of the season to come is met with both anticipation and dread.  Unlike the beautiful displays of reds, oranges and yellows familiar to persons residing in the Lower 48, Alaskans must accept the quick change separating summer from winter. 

I for one am thankful to have such clarity between seasons; an obvious sign displayed of what is to come. 

The personal seasons of my life seem less obvious in regard to giving me a heads up that a change is about to take place.

Though there is peace in knowing that we serve an unchanging God; at times I confuse God’s never-changing nature with my ever-changing seasons.  It’s not that He hasn’t given me all the signs that seasons are changing; I’m simply not looking up to see the termination dust.

Termination dust takes the guesswork out of “what is to come” and allows one to pause and reflect on the beauty of the moment.  Instead of yearning for what lies behind or wondering what lies ahead, we are able to take in what is happening in the moment.  I don’t know about you, but for me, living in the moment is a struggle.  If I’m not regretting something that I cannot change or worrying about something that will more than likely never happen; something feels oddly unsettling.  

While we are busy with our lives, creation patiently stands to attention should we decide to pause and live in the beauty of the moment.  Perfect memories come from perfect moments which happen during very ordinary, imperfect days.  What feels invisible or hidden in the changing of personal seasons becomes as obvious as termination dust if we are willing to seek the heart of the One who formed us from dust in the first place.

As termination dust creates a beautiful blanket of white upon the canvases of our lives, the next season is filled with hope.  The One who creates each season and determines when each season should both begin and end, true to His unchanging nature, remains ever-faithful.

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote

A Gentle Answer

It is only right that I pen today’s blog as a follow-up to last week’s blog, Sermon on the Mount.

I shared how churches often miss the purpose of their existence by becoming comfortable in their cliques and thus not reaching out to both visitors and to those outside of the four walls of their own churches.

After posting the blog, I felt inclined to send an email to the pastor of the church we had visited that morning and attaching my blog.  I’m not always the sharpest tool in the shop but most of the time I mean well.

I had zero expectations of receiving a response to my email.  I thought that if I received a response at all it would be words written in defense. Mostly, I went about my day and soon forgot that I had sent the email at all.

The following morning I received a response from the pastor regarding my email and blog.  It was a very long email.

I wondered if I should read the email and quickly prepared myself mentally to get a spiritual butt whooping for being so honest and real.

Instead, the words before my eyes crushed me, in a good way.  The words were written in humility from a man of God longing to do church in the way that Jesus would want church to be done.  

There were no harsh words, only gentle words in response to my blog filled with disappointment and hurt.  

I was taken aback at the heart behind the man; I was deeply humbled.

This morning we revisited the church, as per the pastor’s advice in our email exchange.  He said that he would be looking for me.  I seriously considered changing my name to avoid an awkward introduction.  Suddenly I related to Paul’s words when he wrote to the Corinthians saying that he was “timid” when face to face but “bold” when away (2 Corinthians 10:1).

There was no awkward introduction as he warmly embraced our family.  

I have been thinking a lot over the last week about the Proverb, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).  

Although I had no intentions of returning to this particular church when we left after last Sunday’s visit, gentle words spoken in true humility have a way of breaking the bones of even a rebel like me.

Today as I sat through service with a new attitude and a humbled spirit, I felt whatever it is you are supposed to feel when you know you belong somewhere.

Not only does a gentle answer turn away wrath, it also draws out the deep desires and longings of the heart to both draw near to God and to be a part of His family, the church.

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote