What Are You Doing Here? (Or Give Yourself Away Part IV)

So, God ministers to the depressed and despondent Elijah. He feeds him, lets him sleep.

Then he asks him the money question. "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Elijah answered immediately, and it's interesting to note that it's actually a duplication of his whiny rant from earlier. It's the one note symphony in his head, composed by Elijah, lyrics by Elijah, and he hates it but he keeps playing it. I'm all alone. No one understands. I'm trying to do your will.

10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

The tacit part is: How could, you, God? How could you leave me like this? All alone with all this stuff? Life threatened with this huge mountain to climb? Why? How could you?

God's answer was to show his might. Not himself, but his might. Shows Elijah what He can do. But God wasn't in that might. Rocks are torn. Winds whip. The earth shakes. Mighty.

But God was in a whisper. God was in a still voice asking, again, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

For me, every single time I've felt like going and taking a handful of beer and sitting in a room and having it out with God, God has sent me some tangible form of consolation. 30 countries and 50 states, for example. Last night it was my best friend calling me and telling me how this blog works in people. Mighty.

And after the thought of 50 states fades...after I look at my wife holding my snoring infant girl who is in a fist fight for her life...I hear His whisper. "What are you doing here?"

God's tacit response is: you're here, right? You have a heart that beats and air in your lungs. So answer the question. What are you doing here? I have endowed you with life, with this day. What are you doing here? I have given you your daughter for another day. What is she doing here?