” I didn’t ask for this. I told you not to get my hopes up.”

The Shunammite woman said that to Elisha several years ago when he told her she’d give birth to a son. She was old. Just like Sarah was when she had Isaac. But miracles only happened for other people, not her. She had experienced too many disappointments in her long life for this to be any different. It was one thing that she actually had a son so late in life, just as that crazy man of God had said, but she should have known better than to believe it would last. It was just how things went for her that he’d die so young.

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Sarah might have laughed, and The Shunammite woman may have been skeptical when they were each told they’ve have a kid in their old age, but when God gave me my dream, I was pissed. I wasn’t prepared for it and the life I had planned was much different. I had scholarships and already had designs built. That was a lot more than any of the other Architecture students in the program had to boast about. I was cocky about my ability and knew I’d make bank from it. But when I got saved, my expectations for life changed. God just kept telling me what I’d do, and I didn’t like it.

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Even if she was incredulous about the whole thing, the Shunammite woman rode that idiot donkey all the way to Elisha to see what he had to say. He got her into this mess with his prophecy, what could he say now? His answer to this question was to send Gehazi running  to her home with Elisha’s staff. She wasn’t going to take that for an answer. The man of God had to come with his own walking stick and he was going to make everything better himself!

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I changed my major… my life for this dream. More than half of my college was paid for when I was studying architecture, but this dream came from God, so it had to pay off even if I had to make some sacrifices, right? Worked my tail off between work, school and my involvement in church and loved every minute of it, even if I was exhausted most of the time. But then I graduated. I was still working at the coffee shop, but the dream didn’t manifest anything. I started seminary, but quickly ran out of money for that, and so here I am, sitting on a dream.

I got my hopes up for a dream I didn’t ask for.

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Elisha obliged the Shunammite and made the trip to her house. She and her husband had been so generous to him, how could he not? He sent Gehazi ahead of himself and the woman, hoping that the prophet’s original inclination would suffice, but the report back was that the staff and servant accomplished nothing, so on they went. They got there and began with prayer. Then Elisha, understanding that he was in hot water with the woman if this child wasn’t revived, laid himself out on top of the child until he was warm and alive again. The boy even began to sneeze as death retreated from his body.

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Only super emo people and those who like to complain seek out disappointment. Nobody wants to make changes to their lifestyle so they can get hurt, some people build their lives around avoiding pain. It makes sense to do it. That said, I believe that Yahweh is the God of interruptions. He enjoys coming in and making a mess of our plans. He gives us a big picture, then allows us to wait. When we’re done waiting, it seems we might have to wait more. More waiting might follow that, I’m not sure but I certainly hope not. The thing about God though, is that He’s faithful and even though it might seem like His promises die, He has the power to resurrect them.

The Shunammite woman rode an ass to pursue the originator or her promise.

With him came the answer to her problem.

Maybe the quickest way to the fix our problem is equally close and all you have to do

is go for it.

Many thanks to Bridget Chumbley for putting on the Blog Carnival. This week’s theme was hope.Check out the other writers too!