E Dey Well: Di Woman from Shunem

One mama dey ride as fast as she fit across di countryside, her heart dey break. Somebody run come meet her ask, Everything dey well? And she answer, E dey well. She no go stop until she reach di man of God.

For di town of Shunem, one rich and important woman dey live. Anytime di prophet Elisha pass through, she go beg am make e stop chop for her house. Soon e become habit. Every time e pass, e go stop there chop. One day she tell her husband, I fit see say dis man wey dey come here always na holy man of God. Make we build one small room for am for di roof, and put bed, table, chair and lamp. Then anytime e come meet us, e fit stay there.

So dem do am. One day, as e dey rest for im small room, Elisha want thank her. Through im servant Gehazi, e ask, You don take all dis trouble for us. Wetin I fit do for you? I fit talk to di king for you, or to di commander of di army? But she talk, I dey live among my own people. Her heart dey settle. She no need favour. After she go, Gehazi point one thing out. She no get son, and her husband don old. So Elisha call her back, and she stand for di doorway. By dis time next year, e tell her, you go carry son for your arms. E hard her to even hope. No, my lord, man of God, no raise my hope like dat. But di next year, for dat same time, she born son.

Di boy grow. One day for harvest time, e go meet im papa among di people wey dey harvest. Suddenly e cry out, My head! My head! Im papa tell one servant make e carry am go meet im mama. She hold am for her lap until afternoon, and then e die. She no talk anything to anybody, she carry am go upstairs, lay am for di bed for di prophet room, and close di door. Then she ask her husband for donkey and one servant. Why you dey go meet am today? e ask. No be new moon, no be Sabbath. And she just talk, E dey well.

She ride hard go Mount Carmel. Elisha see her dey come from far, and e send Gehazi make e run go meet her. E dey well with you? E dey well with your husband? E dey well with di pikin? E dey well, she answer. But when she reach Elisha, she fall down hold im feet. Gehazi come to push her comot, but Elisha talk, Leave her. Her heart dey pain her well well, and Di Lord hide am from me. Then di words come out. Na me ask you for son, my lord? I no tell you make you no deceive me? Elisha send Gehazi go front with im staff, make e put am for di boy face. But di mama no gree leave. As Di Lord dey alive, and as you dey alive, I no go leave you. So Elisha get up follow her.

Gehazi come back meet dem. E don put di staff for di boy, but no sound, no sign of life. Elisha reach di house, enter di room, and close di door. E pray to Di Lord. Then e stretch imself over di pikin, and di boy body begin dey warm. Elisha get up, waka go and come inside di room, then e stretch imself over di pikin again. And di boy sneeze seven times and open im eyes. Elisha call di mama. Carry your son. She come in, fall for im feet and bow reach ground. Then she carry her son go out.

Di room wey dis family build for Elisha dey for di roof. For old Israel, most houses get flat roof, wey people dey climb with stairs or ladder, and families dey use am as extra place to live. Rahab dry stalks of flax for her roof, and di law even demand small wall round di edge, so dat nobody go fall. One proper room wey dem build for there, with im own bed, table, chair and lamp, na generous gift: private place to rest for prophet wey dey travel. And na there, for di room wey she give, God give her son back to her.

Di woman from Shunem. You go find her story for Second Kings, chapter four, verse eight reach thirty-seven. She make room for God servant when life dey good, and she hold on when her heart dey break. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When things go wrong, who you go run go meet, and wetin you no go gree let go?