I have a little cough. It is residual from the bout with pneumonia I just went through. (Quick little play on your sympathy button there.) It’s not terrible, but it’s persistent and aggravating. So I started seeking some help. Maybe I need a respiratory therapist, maybe a pulmonologist, maybe a holistic person who can load me up with THC-infused beeswax. (This is just an illustration. Don’t everyone start sending me referrals or remedies.) The point is, when you need help, it’s hard to know where to turn.
That’s true if you’re looking for a physician or a priest, a counselor or a chiropractor, a banker or a beekeeper who uses THC. 🙂 It is not easy to know who you need, what you need, and where to find them. We get calls all the time for recommendations on things that really aren’t our bailiwick or in our scope of practice. People just need help knowing where to get help. I am sure the same is true for those who are looking for counselors.
I read a familiar story in my devotional time this morning, and there seemed to be some step-by-step instructions for those of us in such a state. The story was about Naaman, the commander in King Aram’s army. The story is found in 2 Kings, chapter 5, and also on every old flannel graph storyboard that is still in existence. (If you don’t know, ask your grandmother.) Naaman is a stud, a national hero, and he has a problem: leprosy. That’s no trifling problem. That is a career-ending, socially unacceptable, life-altering rash that nobody wants to deal with. And he’s looking for help. A servant girl, taken captive from Israel, remembers her children’s church pastor (Yes, I’m taking some liberties!) and tells Naaman about Elisha, the holy healer. Read the story. It’s awesome. But for now, here are some step-by-steps.
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- Everybody has a but. Well, that didn’t sound exactly like I mean, but the point is good. Don’t think you are the only one with a rash. Don’t imagine that every other marriage is perfect, or all kids behave, or no one has financial challenges like you. We ALL, hear that? ALL have problems, or at least have had, and have needed help at some point. Verse 1 ends with the sentence, “He was a valiant soldier, BUT he had leprosy.” (See what i did there?). The first step to getting help is being willing to acknowledge the need.
- God has been preparing a solution. In verse 2, a quick story is told about Naaman going out, conquering Israel, and bringing a captive girl home to be the handmaiden to his wife. I don’t know the time frame there. It says she was young, so perhaps she hadn’t been there long. The point is, before the rash appeared, God was ready with a remedy. This young girl tells Naaman’s wife, and she tells Naaman.
- People want you to get well. Naaman tells his boss, the king of Aram, that guy starts a “GoFundMe,” and they are off to the races. When I am sick, or suffering, or sinning, a victim mentality is right around the corner. I start thinking that everyone is against me, nobody is for me, and I am all alone. Not true. When I was at my worst, to my amazement, there were people who were rooting for me and willing to help in any way possible. Verse 5, “‘By all means, go,’ the king of Aran replied.”
- People don’t want you to get well. Yes, I know what I just said. People will be for you and cheering for you to get help, but not everybody. Some people, maybe even some close to you, will be afraid of what your healing looks like. Some are rescuers, and they want to keep you needy. Some are afraid that your healing will make them look bad. Some are just comfortable with the status quo. In verse 7, “The king of Israel read the letter and tore his robes.” Your help and healing is not dependent on anyone else. You choose. You decide. You take the next right step.
- Get godly counsel. I don’t mean counseling (though that’s not bad, and I know a great place); I mean counsel. Find your “prophet,” someone who is close to God and can help you hear from Him, and listen to what they say. Sometimes your “prophet” will have a robe and a glow about them. Sometimes they will be a friend on the tennis court, or a stranger in the supermarket. But God has some people in place who are ready and capable of giving you good advice if you will just listen. Naaman had a servant girl, his wife, his king, a mega-church pastor, Elisha, all moving him in the right direction. Verse 10, “Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River.”
- That leads me to one of the most important steps. In verse 11, “Naaman went away angry.”He was ticked. He was embarrassed, humiliated, put off, and put out. After all he went through to get help, Elisha just sends a messenger and says, “Go jump in a lake.” (Actually, a river. And actually, not jump, dip. And actually, seven times.) Here’s the step. Don’t dictate what your own healing should look like. As we say in the 12 Steps, “It was my very best thinking that got me into this room.” If you had all the answers, you wouldn’t need the prophet. Just give it your all. Do what you’re told. And trust God and the process.
- Last step, remember healing is often a process. First dip, no change. Second dip, nothing. Third, fourth, fifth, this thing is not working. But Naaman stayed the course. Verse 14, “So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” Go to your meetings. Take your medication. Read your Bible. Keep showing up. It may not change all at once but God is doing a great work in you. Let Him finish.
Well, it’s a great story. Help is available. Just stick with the plan. Work the steps. Do the rehab. Whatever! But never give up. God and many others are cheering for you. And if all else fails, I have some THC beeswax that I’m trying to unload.
PS. Here’s the profit part. (Remember the title?)
2. If you are a caregiver, a counselor, a pastor, or a physical therapist, remember why you go into this. God called you to help people. When you start making it about the money, well, that’s a rash decision. :). Sometimes I crack myself up. Verse 27, “The Gehazi…was leprous, as white as snow.”