“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.” 1 Kings 17:19-24 (NIV)
Choosing to Trust
We have waiting on pins and needles hoping to hear that our sons get jobs. In this economy, there are people with much more experience looking for work. I read that 17% of young males are unemployed. That is hard when you have never worked a full time job so are not eligible for unemployment. Youngest son’s interview went well. It lasted two hours and the man asking questions talked about the job more than he asked youngest son about himself. He said that it will be at least a month for youngest son to hear anything because they have to do background screens. There is still hope he will be hired, but I was pretty upset tonight to find out oldest son did not get the job he applied for. They are saving the position for a veteran. So, he is back to reading the job postings and figuring out what he will do come November when his job position expires. While I was getting geared up to start worrying over his future, I remembered a sermon our pastor preached last week. He is preaching from the book of 1 Kings on the prophet, Elijah, and told the story of Elijah’s encounter with the widow of Zarephath. The country was in a severe drought and famine, and this woman was preparing to die from lack of food. She had only enough oil and flour for one more meal for herself and her son and then, she expected that they would starve. Yet, when Elijah asked her to share what little she had, she gave it because she had faith in his promise that her jar of flour and jug of oil would not run out as long as the famine lasted. True to his word, the woman continued to have food, and she and her son lived. Later, though, the boy became ill and died. When she confronted Elijah with her loss, I wonder if she thought, “Why did God give me a few more good years only to have to watch my son die? Wouldn’t it have been better to have died alongside him so long ago?” Yet, when Elijah asked for the boy’s body, she gave him to the prophet and after Elijah’s prayer, the boy was restored to life. At the end of the sermon, our pastor asked, “What would have happened if the widow refused to give her son to Elijah? What if she had said, ‘No, thanks, you have done enough. Leave me to my misery.’” Our pastor continued, “God is calling you to give up the things or people you hold most dear. That you worry and are anxious about and give them to Him so He can breathe new life in them.” Like the widow, I have a choice how I will react. Will I get mad? Will I mourn? Or will I trust? It is hard, but I chose to trust because when I do I really learn Who God is.
Oh, those pins and needles are so uncomfortable!!!! If this is the right fit, your son will get it. If not, even if it's not obvious why, he'll have to set his sights elsewhere. It is a scary thing, this unknown future. Trust that he will be okay.