Living Upside Down

Hi folks,

As usual, I find myself thoroughly enjoying my Sunday. We had an awesome message by a guest from the land down under. It was based off a quirky little 7 verse passage in 2 Kings 6. So basically the prophets in training are inspired to expand their meeting place. They go off and start chopping trees. (I picture lumber jack style). Then one of them drops his iron axe head in the river. Upset, he cries out to Elisha who answers, "Where did it fall?" The man points out the spot in the river, Elisha  throws a stick into the water, and the axehead floats up from the river bottom.

Ok.... That's weird.

Right? But unpacked, these verses have a profound message. Basically, these guys had a good vision; and all of a sudden out of the blue... something comes along and destroys the very thing that makes this vision possible. Their passionate, good work for the Lord... comes to a screeching halt. They can't do anything. Here we see that sometimes God causes the death of a vision.  But when they reach out to God, he answers them through Elisha, by resurrecting the iron axehead from the river. I mean... when did iron float?

So... I took three points of encouragement from this. 1) Have you ever jumped into an icy lake? The shock of hitting the cold completely takes your breath away. Knowing that God sometimes causes the death of a vision can kind of dampen the icy shock of disappointment. It's like wearing insulation against despair to know that a good God has everything in hand.2) The death of a vision isn't the end of the story. There is always a resurrection; and sometimes the very death of one vision provides fertilizer for the next one. 3) Sometimes you have to revisit the place your dream died in order to see the miracle of life that God created from it. Elisha tells the man "Point to the place the axe fell"... the exact place where your heart was broken, your plan failed, your fiancee dumped you, you got laid off from work, you started a ministry that flopped, someone you loved died, you got evicted from your home, you didn't get the scholarship, you missed the winning shot..." Even though you don't want to face the painful memories, whatever God shows you will completely shoot the darkness to pieces.

Basically, one word turns the world upside down. Resurrection. If death is not the end, then everything is different. Every fall - is actually a fall upward. The very sin you struggle with forms you into the person God wants you to be. Sometimes, it isn't about your dream. Sometimes the death of your dream opens the door for another person's dream... and that is no small thing.



This week, may you have the eyes to see the world upside down - resurrected - hope in all things even the heartbreak. Love,Katie