Reflection Three. 2 Kings 5:1-15

2 Kings 5:1-15

Well, I am not convicted AT all by this story (insert sarcasm here). So, it's about this man Naaman who has leprosy and goes to Elisha the prophet for healing. Elisha sends a messanger out & tells him to dip into the river (a certain river) 7 times & he will be healed. Naaman thinks this is ridiculous & pretty much that he knows better. He is absolutely set on not following God's direction given to him through Elisha.

But his officers tried to reason with him & said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'God and wash and be cured!'" 2 Kings 5:2-3

Naaman cannot argue with this. He goes and dips into the river 7 times, "and his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child's, and he was healed!" 2 Kings 5: 14

Here is a little insight into my world 6 years ago. I was getting ready to move up here to wonderful Seattle and I asked God what I needed to do. I got an answer. It wasn't jump into Lake Washington 7 times, but it was simply to simlify my life. My reaction was much like Naaman's. "That's it? You want me to simplify my life? That's crazy! It's too simple." God must have repeated this a thousand times over the last 6 years. I ignored it for quite awhile. I became depressed, and really lost out on my college expereince. I kept piling more things onto my life to hide the sadness I felt while God just wanted me to peel the layers away & let him restore me. After about 3 to 4 years of fighting I gave in. Slowly. I let little things go first. So little that I can't really recall them. I gradually work my way up. I have a lot farther to go. Let's be serious, I have marathons to go, but I am happier than I have ever been in my life. Don't think this means my life is perfect. I still have terribly hard days. No one's life is perfect...that is kind of what this process is all about. Being OK not being perfect.

All I had to do was let go and let God. Cliche? Absolutely. But it has proven to be true.

The more I simplify the more I feel at peace with myself. God is restoring me to the daughter he intended me to be. EXACTLY how he restored Naaman.

God was telling me how he was going to heal & restore me. I just had to choose to listen.

Photo compliments of Giselle's feet...Thank you Gelle for bringing so much joy to my life!