Once upon a time there was a wealthy Shunammite woman who had convinced herself that she needed nothing. She would be known far and wide as a giver, thank you very much, with a capital G. 

“I’ll build you a room on my roof,” she said to Elisha, “so that you’ll have a place to stay when you pass by.” 

Touched by her generous hospitality, Elisha questioned, “What can I do for you?” 

“Nothing at all,” she returned with a selfless smile. “I’m perfectly fine. I already have a home among my own people.” 

But Elisha unexpectedly spoke into this barren woman’s life a promise, “Next year you will hold a son in your arms.”

Instead of rejoicing as we might expect, she frowned in protest, “Don’t mislead your servant.” For you see, deep down in her carefully guarded heart, she wanted to remain safe. Risking desire meant inviting the possibility that her dreams might be dashed.

Regardless of her resistance, true to Elisha’s word, she miraculously gave birth to a precious son. And all was well, until the fateful day some years later, when he suddenly became ill and tragically took his last breath in her arms. Her deeply held fear of shattered desire had in fact become her reality.  

After tenderly laying the death of her dreams on Elisha’s bed, she set out on a journey, determined to find the one who was responsible for her un-asked-for broken heart.

Reaching the culprit at last at Mt. Carmel, she grabbed hold of Elisha’s feet. In anger and desperation, she choked out, “Did I ask you for a son, my Lord? Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes?’”

Returning with her, the man of God entered his room on the roof and stretched himself out twice on the boy’s lifeless body. And there was breath once again. Resurrection. 

In that holy moment, God met this dear woman where she was, stripped of everything she held dear and filled beyond measure with pain that she had worked for years to protect herself from. The God of Redemption met her there: in the depths of her deep desire and in the depths of her deep despair and brought new life.