Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." – 2 Kings 8:5

Today's Scripture Reading (March 11, 2026): 2 Kings 8

In the early days of planting a church, I was looking for a place where the new church could meet. One of the leaders of the church had a line on a small church that might be looking for a tenant. The small church was being underused by another local congregation in the area. As a result, I arranged to meet with the pastor who was in charge of the church building. This local pastor and his church board agreed to meet with my leadership and me one evening at the church property in question. We gathered outside the church's front door, waiting for the pastor to arrive.

As we waited, a man in jeans and a T-shirt arrived and joined the conversation. What we didn't realize at the time was that no one knew who this guy was. We both assumed that he was a part of the other delegation. Then the pastor arrived, and the two of them exchanged greetings, and we moved inside the church. The mysterious man who had joined us was the Director of Church Planting for the denomination that owned the building. The Director happened to be driving past the building, noticed a group of people, and decided to stop. He was an uninvited guest at that first meeting. He became a significant part of bringing the church plant into the denomination—just another serendipitous moment in what sometimes seems like a sea of spontaneous moments.

So much of life seems to be about timing. We meet significant people in our lives through an accident of timing. Unexpected moments change our lives, sometimes for the positive and sometimes for the negative. People waltz into our lives for a brief moment, but leave us changed in ways that we couldn't have predicted or planned. As I write these words, a pantheon of images comes to mind of people I met by chance who left me changed. And I am indebted to every one of them.

Gehazi was the servant of Elisha. For some reason that the story doesn't reveal, this servant has an opportunity to speak with the King. Not only is Gehazi able to speak to the king, but the king is asking Gehazi questions. "The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, 'Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done'" (2 Kings 8:4).

Gehazi answers by telling the story of Elisha resurrecting the Shunammite woman's son, just as this Shunammite woman is ushered into the king's presence. It was a serendipitous meeting in a couple of ways. First, Gehazi has firsthand testimony that the story he is telling the king actually happened. And second, the woman hopes the king will restore the land that was taken from her during her absence.

Both situations are transformed amazingly by a chance meeting with Gehazi, and that unexpected, God-ordained moment changes everything.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 9

Personal Note: Happy Birthday, Dad.