Vivi had a secret.
In Rebecca Wells’ Devine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, we meet a group of older women who have been friends since early childhood. They still care deeply for each other, flaws and all.
A war has erupted between one of them, Vivi, and her adult daughter, Sidda. Like many family conflicts, it’s part truth and part misunderstanding. Hoping to reconcile them, the Ya Ya's kidnap Sidda from her life in New York City and spirit her away to Louisiana.
In trying to help her understand just why her mother is so difficult a person, they finally reveal to Sidda her mother's deepest, darkest secret.
Vivi dropped her basket.
This is the phrase Vivi came up with to describe a time when, as a young mother, she had a mental and emotional breakdown, brutally beat her children, and was hospitalized for attempted suicide.
You'll have to read the book or rent the movie to get the rest of it (and you should). As for us, this is what we need: Vivi dropped her basket. Life can be tough. Some of us fare better than others. Some of us, for reasons known and unknown, are stronger than others when it comes to our mental and emotional health. And, even when we appear strong to those around us, we can be coming apart on the inside.
Elijah is a perfect example of this. He is this almost superhuman prophet of the Old Testament. He performs amazing feats in the name of the Lord. People are in awe of his power and authority. To his peers, he seems the ideal warrior for the Lord. And yet …
Elijah dropped his basket.
That's the story we find in this week's 1st Kings passage. This great warrior for God, on the heels of a mighty victory ... just loses it. In fear, he runs out into the wilderness. He is so afraid and depressed, he begs God to take his life. When you read the 1st Kings passage, don't stop where the Lectionary breaks: keep going through the end of Elijah's story. See what God does with Elijah's depression.
We need to keep that in mind as we face the struggles that affect us in this life. No matter how strong we've been, no matter how amazing our most recent Mountaintop experience, no matter the number of victories we've achieved … any of us can drop our basket.
There is a related passage in the New Testament book of James where we're told, "Elijah was a human being just like us." Like Elijah, we can depend on God to be in it with us, to hear what we have to say, and, if we can receive it, to redirect us on our journey.
When Elijah dropped his basket, he thought his journey in this life was over. In fact, he begged for it to be over. But, God had more plans for Elijah.
And God has more plans for you.
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We meet each Friday morning (in person and on Zoom**) for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We're still sojourning at Our Breakfast Place (formerly Waco’s "Egg and I" restaurant). We meet from 8:00 to 9:00-ish for an extraordinary hour of relaxed fellowship (laughing; a lot), Bible reading, and meaningful exploration of just how those scriptures affect our actual lives.
Join us.
Blessings,
Steve
**Contact me for the Zoom link
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK
Find them here: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
Psalm 130
1 Kings 19:4-8
Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
John 6:35, 41-51
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