As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
--2 Kings 2:11-12
There is nothing quite like a funeral to get you thinking about life.
This morning, I attended a funeral and listened to a story about a man who, spending his days in a nursing home, one day decided to sign himself out, go to the local Toyota dealer, and lease a bright red Toyota convertible.
Throwing his walker in the back seat, he downshifted and took off, the last of his snowy white hair blowing in the breeze.
It wasn't his final hurrah, not a "Thelma and Louise" moment or anything. But he did it to make a point, to affirm, one more time, the way he had lived his life: With joy, with vigor-- unpredictably.
Life came along, and this man said, "Yes!"
Imagine Elisha, standing and watching as the man whom he loved as a father was taken up in a whirlwind to join his ancestors. Elisha knew it was coming-- but still, in the next verses, he is heard to ask, "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?"
Saying goodbye can be challenging.
But Elisha, before Elijah's death, knew that Elijah had a way of living that Elisha wanted to continue. He asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit.
A double portion. Twice the zest for living. Can you imagine?
I wonder what people might see in our lives and want to emulate, receive a double portion.
What is your inheritance, the gift you are leaving behind to the world?
Have you lived your life tentatively, waiting for "someone else" to make a move? Or have you stepped up to the plate, offered a smile, a hand-- a heart?
Are you storing away treasures in this life, saving up far more than you can ever use? Or are you generous of spirit, giving freely of all you have and all you are?
When you look up at the local coffee shop or the library, when you see someone you don't know, what do you see? A stranger-- or a friend you have yet to meet? (Do you see Jesus?)
Does your life speak of the love of the Lord-- in all you do?
And when that day approaches, will you cling with everything you have to your life in this place? Or will you share, even in death, your profession of faith, your belief in a life beyond the grave, free of pain and suffering?
Like Elijah and Elisha, we are walking this journey together. When our time comes, how will our lives be seen? It is never too late to begin living a life where your actions speak so loudly they drown out your words.
Faithful loving Lord, thank you for reminding us: We have nothing to fear. And thank you for showing us a better way, through the life of your Son. Amen.
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