When it’s time to say goodbye (whether we are ready to or not)……

Sometimes people are taken from us before their time in our opinion. They have so much living left to do, so much to give, so much to do. They mean so much to so many people. We are not ready for them to go.

How can this possibly be the right time for their life to end?

What is God doing?

And even if they have been ill for a long time and we know that each extra day is a bonus, we are still not ready to say goodbye. We may never be ready.

Elisha knows that the time has come for Elijah to leave him. We don’t know how he knows but we know he knows. He simply doesn’t want to talk about it –

The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”  2 Kings 2:3

Sometimes there are no words.

Maybe Elijah wants to shield Elisha from the final goodbye. Three times he says to Elisha –

“Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel (then Jericho and then Jordan).” 2 Kings 2:2,4 and 6

But Elisha is having none of it. He wants to stay by Elijah’s side for as long as possible –

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” 2 Kings 2:2,4 and 6

When time is running out, nothing else matters. Every moment in the presence of the one we love is precious.

In Jordan, when Elijah demonstrates that God’s power is still working through him –

Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 2 Kings 2:8 –

he asks Elisha what he can do for him. Elisha wants some of that power from God – in fact twice as much – ‘a double portion of your spirit’. Please.

Maybe he’s concerned that he will not be able to carry on the good work that Elijah has started without him at his side. Maybe he doesn’t feel equal to the task. Maybe he doesn’t want to do it alone. Maybe he’s not ready.

Elijah does not die in the traditional way. In fact, he does not die at all.

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.  2 Kings 2:11

But he is still gone. Elisha is still heartbroken. He feels alone.

Until he takes Elijah’s cloak and drops it in the river and the river parts. Just like before. Just like when Elijah did it. Elijah’s spirit is living on in him. The spirit of God that was in Elijah is now in Elisha. God will continue his work through Elisha.

When someone leaves us physically, there is a part of them that lives on in each one of us – memories, inspiration, encouragement, the way they touched our lives and contributed to making us what we are today. That part goes on. That part is still there. That part can grow and flourish and bring some comfort in our grieving.

The company of prophets from Jericho see that Elisha now has the spirit of God resting on him. They will now follow behind him. With the best will in the world, they want to make it better for Elisha and take away his sorrow. Maybe they are uncomfortable with his distress. They want to fix him by offering false hope.

“Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”  2 Kings 2:16

But Elisha knows the truth. He knows that Elijah has gone.

When we are grieving, people sometimes want to make it better. They want to take the pain away. They want to make us stop crying. They offer trite words that are no comfort, quick fixes that can never work, explanations that make no sense at all.

Sometimes all we need is for them to be there – to sit with us, to walk with us, to listen to us…..sometimes words are not necessary.

The people persisted until Elisha was ‘too embarrassed to refuse’. They search for three days without finding Elijah. No surprise there.

What do we allow people to do and say when we are grieving because we are too embarrassed to refuse? People mean well. We know that. We don’t want to hurt their feelings. They feel the need to say something, to do something so we allow them to.

But all we need is the time and space to grieve in our own way; to work out what our life now looks like without that essential person there by our side; to figure how to live and breathe and carry on………

We will never understand God’s timing, but we can slowly learn to trust in His wisdom and goodness and strength and love.

Whatever time or season we find ourselves in right now.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8