Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel." – 2 Kings 2:2

Today's Scripture Reading (January 18, 2023): 2 Kings 2

When I was young, my grandparents had a dog. The dog was a collie we affectionately called Lassie. And yes, Lassie looked like her namesake. But by the time I was born, Lassie was already getting older. I am strongly allergic to animals, and my parents understood that they couldn't have a pet because of my allergies. Possibly because of that absence, I fell in love with Lassie. I liked nothing more than to be around my grandparent's dog, even if the dog was making me sick. And I have been an animal lover ever since, even if I am forced to befriend them at a distance.

I still remember the day that Lassie disappeared. No one knew how she got out of my grandparent's fenced yard. All I knew was that the dog I had come to love was gone. Family members searched the neighborhood for Lassie, but no one found the dog. It was then that a family member sat down with me to explain that Lassie was old, and sometimes when a dog senses that life is at an end, they disappear from the ones they love and who love them so that they can end their lives alone. It seemed likely to the adults that that was what happened to Lassie. I never saw my grandparent's dog again, and part of my childhood emotions thought that it was unfair that the pet we all loved had to leave its life alone. I wanted to be there, smoothing Lassie's hair and loving my grandparent's pet, even if that meant that that action would make me very sick.

Apparently, it was common knowledge that Elijah's life was ending. Maybe it had been prophesied at some point in the past. It doesn't seem that Elijah was sick or injured, yet his death was expected. I don't want to call Elijah a dog, but it appears that much like my grandparent's dog, Elijah just wanted to get alone for his final moments on this planet. And I get that. Some don't understand, but often when I am sick, I also prefer to be alone. People whose hospital beds I have sat beside in crisis moments often want to return the favor by sitting by my bed during my times of crisis. But the reality is, under those circumstances, I want to be alone.

Elijah tries to produce a gap between himself and Elisha. But Elisha is having none of it. Knowing that the death of his mentor is coming, he refuses to leave Elijah's side. Elisha has committed that he will be at his mentor's side through every moment of the coming day. Elijah is not going to walk out into the wilderness and die alone.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 3