The Comeback

Medical and mental health workers know that the time required for comeback after illness, injury, trauma, loss, or hospitalization is significant. It often catches us unaware. It often is harder and more time intensive to fully bounce back than we imagined.

God knows this.

He knows how we are wired.

He knows what coming back stronger than before requires.

In I Kings 19, when Elijah ended up under the broom tree wanting to die, God met him there in miraculous ways and then sent him on a 200-mile, 40-day journey to Horeb, also known as Mt. Sinai.

A straight trip from Beersheba to Horeb would typically require 10-days at a 20-mile a day clip.

God set the pace.

He recognized that Elijah needed 4 times that amount of time. At this pace, Elijah could rest and recover, tend to his weary heart – and ultimately, come back stronger than before, preparing him well for his next assignment from God.

Are you in comeback mode?

Don’t rush, push, or force.

Patience and courage, for this leg of the journey, requires an adjusted pace, wide margins, and an ear attuned to Jesus.

Allow his voice to drown out the drone of the “shoulds,” “ought to’s,” and other guilt-inducing phrases ringing in your ears from yourself and others.

In this time of comeback, seek his face. Know his heart. Trust his timeline.

He will get you to where you need to be, when you need to be there.