Last night my husband and I had to deal with what I would say is the most difficult situation we have come across in our marriage so far. Of course we both cried and held each other for a while. I need the reassurance that my husband is and will always be there for me, and I know he likes comforting me and wrapping his arms around me for protection.
This morning, though, I had a new reaction to this tragedy. After breakfast, I picked up my bible, and my husband sat with me as we both continued through our usual devotions. We prayed together, asking for clarity in our situation, then opened our separate bibles and read from where we were.
I happened to be just finishing 1Kings and starting 2Kings. Elijah advises the kings of Judah and Israel to heed God's commandments in the end of 1Kings, then he is taken to heaven in a whirlwind in the beginning of 2Kings. His abilities are transferred to the prophet Elisha.
One story in particular struck in reading about the prophet Elisha: There was a woman with an old husband who didn't yet have any children. Elisha told her that God would give her a son in a year. She was confused about how this was possible, but trusted Elisha's prophesy. She did give birth to a son about a year later, and when the son was a toddler, he grew sick and died. Upset, the mother brought her son to Elisha, who brought the child to life with his staff.
Despite what else may go on in our lives, God has a plan, and he has promises he will keep. I'm trying to keep that in mind for this week.
