Everything is Going to Be OK

And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 1 Kings 17:23

As a physician, being the bearer of bad news is a terrible part of the job. Back when I worked in the ER, it wasn’t uncommon for the ambulance to get to the ER long before the family did. The family would then arrive with hopeful expressions on their faces, and I had to be the one to tell them that things hadn’t gone well. That was a terrible part of the job. Working in urgent care now, it’s not uncommon for a visit for a minor complaint to suddenly turn into a new diagnosis of metastatic cancer. That’s always a brutal conversation. We need to talk. The scan showed something unexpected.

On the other side though, it is profoundly rewarding to be the bearer of good news. When a family arrived in the ER after the ambulance and things had gone well, it was a joyous event to be able to share the good outcome. When a patient comes to urgent care now, terrified by new onset chest pain and convinced they’re dying, it’s gratifying to be able to tell them the tests are all normal. You’re going to be OK. Those of us who went to medical school did so because we genuinely want to help people and so, it’s intensely rewarding to be able to give good news.

This is the position in which Elijah found himself in today’s passage. In the story, Elijah stayed with the widow and Zarephath for some time, during which her son suddenly became ill and died. The widow turned to Elijah, who turned to God. God then worked a miracle, bringing the boy back to life. When Elijah presented the now-living boy, I’m sure he felt exhilaration, watching the mother’s despair melt away, leaving only rapturous joy. He’s going to be fine.

As Christians, we have an opportunity to get in on this. Because God is in the business of transforming people, leading them to the new life, and because he uses people like us to carry out his will, we can be part of his plan. It is our job first to follow Christ, experiencing the new life ourselves and then it is our job to bring others along with us.

As I found recovery in my faith, so too, can I point others to the same faith and recovery. Everything is going to be OK. And that is a profoundly rewarding experience.