2 Kings 4

Elisha passed through Shunem on a regular basis as he traveled around the area.  There was a “leading lady” there that began inviting him in for a meal every time he passed through and it became a habit for him.  After a while, the Shunammite woman asked her husband if they could not “add on a small room upstairs and furnish it with a bed and desk, chair and lamp, so that when he comes by he can stay with us”.  Her is a woman who is paying attention to needs.  She was observant of the situation and met those needs – not all at once, but gradually over time.  Elisha feels grateful and wants to give her something for her service and selflessness.  Gehazi his servant and he decide that since the lady and her husband had never been able to have children – a child would be a blessing so even though they “were old”, Elisha tells her that “next year by this time” they will be parents.  That is a miracle in and of itself.  The rest of the story happens as this child is grown up and “was working with the harvest hands, 19 complaining, “My head, my head””, he dies.  The woman immediately takes off to find Elisha and falls at his feet, distraught that Elisha had given her a son that was now dead.  He immediately sends Gehazi to rush to the house and “Lay my staff across the boy’s face” but it doesn’t work – the boy is still dead.  Elisha makes a bee line to the house, locked himself in the room with the dead boy “and prayed to God”.  He lies on top the boy and nothing happens.  He does it again and this time the boy sneezes seven times (not sure of the significance of that number so if someone can enlighten me that would be great) and opens his eyes.  Elisha calls the Shunammite woman in and tells her to hug her kid.  Catch this:  “She fell at Elisha’s feet, face to the ground in reverent awe. Then she embraced her son and went out with him”.  A happy reunion occurs and the boy is back alive and with his family.  Do you see what she does?  Before she even picks up her boy and embraces him, she first falls at the feet of the prophet and gives thanks.  She knew where the power and blessing came from.  It was not about the moment for her.  It was about letting God know just how grateful she was that Elisha had been there and restored her son.  What an example.  Gratitude first – then celebration.  Sometimes we just take for granted the good things that God does in our lives.  He blesses us daily in so many ways.  I for one, am a bit slow on the gratitude side at times.  I often get around to it after the fact, but seldom is that where I start.  This Shunammite woman sets an example of gratitude that is so very important for us.  I have heard it called the ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE and we need to build that into our lives guys.  We need to not only be grateful to God for his blessing, but to many others who touch our lives daily in ways that we do not deserve.  Thank someone today.  Thank a lot of people today.  Start with your heavenly Father and then just go about today with an attitude of gratitude.  It will catch on and you will be blessed indeed!