Painful Packages

Have been thinking a lot about the Lord’s “packages” – those maybe surprising and/or painful gifts He allows into our lives for the purposes and whys that He, for some reason, lovingly omits. Or, it could be, that these packages might be promises that He’s very much spoken to our hearts and yet the way they work out doesn’t exactly fit into the “picture” we invest much energy into after receiving said certain promise. Or, in my case, the package could be an answer to a question you’ve been asking Him for quite some time, but the answer comes in a painful package rather than in the ornately wrapped package of scripture (the kind, I personally like best!)

Anyway, a friend and I were visiting around this recently and we were reminded of Naaman in 2 Kings who had leprosy and was told to seek out Elisha for healing. Upon hearing from his Israelite servant girl that there was a prophet in Samaria who could heal him, Naaman goes to the king of Aram who writes a letter to the king of Israel and asks that he’d heal Naaman. At his request the king of Israel flips out and tears his robes – (probably fearing major war or death because of being asked to do something he couldn’t do and failed to recognize his God could do, I might add).

Word gets back to Elisha about the king of Israel’s response and he tells him to send Naaman to himself. So, Naaman, buoyed by hope of healing, I imagine, sets out to find this man of God. But upon approaching Elisha, Naaman is greeted with a “Just go wash yourself seven times in the river and you’ll be healed.”

The funny thing is Naaman’s response – furious at Elisha’s words he says to himself, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. His servants, aware that he could be making a huge mistake, stopped him and asked him to reconsider: “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” He listened to his servants appeal and did what Elisha told him and he was completely restored (2 Kings 5:11-14).

Naaman almost missed being completely healed. And why? Because his picture of healing wasn’t what God had in mind. Naaman had the “I thought that he would…” response. And that picture…that pride almost caused him to miss a huge gift of God.

The Lord’s kindnesses and gifts upon our lives are not always gift wrapped in ways that are appealing, you know? No, I don’t want to dismiss the pain. Pain is definitely valid and has its place and purpose in our lives. So, I do want to feel it and enter into it openly and honestly before Him. But I want it to be shaped by His perspective, knowing that sometimes it’s possible to look at events and circumstances in our lives, get caught up in the wrapping and lose sight of the real gift inside.

So, yes, right now the package has been painful…but the gift is amAzing!