Family and Spaghetti

“She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.” 2 Kings 4:37 

We have had a busy summer, and now we are sliding into fall. Whew – one week to catch our breath before school starts! Tonight at supper, to help wrap up the last few months, Tim asked that each of us say one thing that we are thankful for about the summer. Miriam began (with Ryan loudly proclaiming that she stole his idea) by stating her gratitude for our family. Ryan then said that he, too, was thankful for our family. Caleb, with much less depth, said that he was thankful for the spaghetti that we were currently eating. Hehe. A man of simple delights! Being thankful for the small and big – family and spaghetti – that’s the lesson I’ve been thinking about this week after I read the account of Elisha and the Shunammite woman.

This barren Shunammite woman, noticing that Elisha often walked past her house, built a special room for him so that he would have somewhere to stay on his travels. Full of gratitude, Elisha told her that she would soon bear a son. Years later, when the son was out in the fields with his father, this boy began complaining of a headache. The pain got so bad that his dad sent him back to the house to see if his mom could help. Unfortunately, the little boy died soon after, cradled in his mother’s arms. Although I just told it devoid of emotion, I am sure that the actual event was filled with emotion. Some of you may have held your own son as he died in your arms. His cries of pain, of begging you to make it stop, will never leave your memory. And then, when his pain stopped, your sorrow increased. No more running feet pattering around the house. No more dreaming of a wedding or baking his favorite cookie. The Shunammite woman felt this intense sorrow. 

Immediately she left to find Elisha and to beg him to help her. He came, and God answered the mother’s prayers; her son was given his life back. Now comes the interesting part. If this was your son, how would you respond? I imagine I would run over, grab my son and give him the tightest, longest hug I could possibly give without hurting him. I would then ask what he wanted to eat, but mostly I would just sit and hold him, savoring the warmth and responsiveness of his body. I am sure this mother did rush to hold her son. But that wasn’t her first action.

What was her first response? Read the above verse. Her first action, after her son had been given his life, was to bow down to Elisha to thank him and, I assume, to thank his God. It was only after she recognized God’s supreme greatness and Elisha’s service to God that she picked up her son. Wow. I am sure that I would have thanked Elisha – but probably it would be while holding my son. I may have even sent him a thank-you note – after I made my son cookies. I would have worshipped God while enjoying the gift. This mother gives a great example of thankfulness being the first response to a gift given.

What gifts have you been given this summer? They may be as wonderful as time spent with family and the gift of relationship, or it might be something as slight as spaghetti. Chances are, God has showered each of us with gifts – we just need to recognize them and then fall at God’s feet in gratitude. What a great way to end the summer – each of us thinking over the last few months and being thankful – for family and spaghetti.