"In dark places, when all other lights go out..."

Elijah is often remembered as one of the greatest Prophets of ancient Israel and the scene wherein he engages in a 'prophets' duel' with the prophets of Baal is one of my favorites in the entire Bible.  But I noticed something for the first time the other day.  Right after this gigantic spiritual high, the apex of his career, in the very next chapter he is on the run and has despaired of his very life, sitting down under a tree and waiting to die.  He's given up, he has no hope, no motivation, no joy.  Have you ever been there?  In that dark place wherein death looks cheerful by comparison?  It is a scary place to be.

And what happens?  Has God given up on the man who has given up on himself and the God who has worked many a mighty miracle through him and preserved his life through many long and difficult years?  Does he get his wish?  Nope!  Instead he is awakened by an angel and gets breakfast in bed, such as it is!  Then he's told to hie himself off to some lonely mountain, which he does, but instead of standing on the peak and trysting with God, Elijah sulks in the cave.  Then he's told to go anoint his successor and a couple replacement Kings, but he pretty much ignores that command as well.  But he's still spoken of in the New Testament as a great Prophet!  And he's not alone, there's a whole list of people with screwed up lives, failures, heretics, murderers, slackers...who are mentioned as heroes of the faith in places like Hebrews.  You read their stories, in all their ghastly glory, and then find God can still call them friends, can use them for great things!

When you are alone in that dark place, you are not alone.  No other human person understand what you are going through, but that does not mean you are not understood.  Whether you have just succeeded in spectacular fashion or feel like your life is over because of some mistake, you are no alone.  We are none of us so great or so wretched that we are beyond redemption or the reach of His love.  But we must choose to take His nail-pierced hand when He offers it; when that still, small voice whispers, will we listen?