"Well" Spring.

The boy grew and one day he went out to see his father who was with the harvest workers. He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” So he picked him up and took him to his mother. He sat on her lap until noon and then died. She went up and laid him down on the prophet’s bed. She shut the door behind her and left. She called to her husband, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can go see the prophet quickly and then return.” He said, “Why do you want to go see him today? It is not the new moon or the Sabbath.” She said, “Everything’s fine.” (Second Kings 4:18-23)

Okay, we know everything is not fine when a loved one dies. There is anguish. There are questions. There is the deep sense of loss and finality. So why does the Shunammite woman take such unusual action upon the death of her son?

Pastor Joy asked the congregation to share their thoughts about the Shunammite's behavior, and they responded with words like faith, courage, trust, and hope. The Shunammite, although faced with extreme crisis, chose to cling to the promise of God that Elisha had given her.

Pastor Joy also shared some key insights about how to respond to crisis, based on the behavior of the Shunammite woman:

Return to the source of the prophecy. The Shunammite put the boy on the bed of the one who had promised her a son, and made arrangements to go and see Elisha personally.

Refrain from spreading gossip. The Shunammite did not involve anyone else in her crisis of faith, because they were not in a position to address the crisis.

Resist the offer of assistance from third parties. When Gehazi spoke to the Shunammite (see Second Kings 4:26), she did not give him the opportunity to step in on behalf of Elisha.

For many of us, these three areas are where we get tripped up in our faith walk. When God's promise to us is threatened, or even seems to have been crushed, what do we do? Call the church secretary and complain? Send an e-mail blast to the masses to tell the world how disappointed we are? Do we avoid going back to the prophetic source who is in a position to help us?

To quote Pastor Joy, "What have you done with the thing that has rocked your world?" If you are sure that God has spoken, and your circumstances have been thrown into turmoil, return to the Source. Appeal to the Prophet-Priest-King, our Lord Jesus, and watch Him work miracles on your behalf.

It is well.