(After reading 2 Kings 4:8-26) I am going to read a quote to you first and then tell you who said it: A small child waits with impatience the arrival home of a parent. She wishes to relate some sandbox experience. She is excited to share the thrill that she has known that day. The time comes; the parent arrives. Beaten down by the stresses of the workplace the parent often replies: “Not now, honey, I’m busy, go watch television.” The most often spoken words in the American household today are the words: go watch television. If not now, when? Later. But later never comes for many and the parent fails to communicate at the very earliest of ages. We give her designer clothes and computer toys, but we do not give her what she wants the most, which is our time. Now, she is fifteen and has a glassy look in her eyes. Honey, do we need to sit down and talk? Too late. Love has passed by.

The person who wrote these words was Robert Keeshan, better known to America as Captain Kangaroo.

I think Keeshan was on to something. There are many things in life that cause stress. But there are few that can break the heart like the loss of a child. To be sure there are many ways to lose children. We can lose them by a tragic death. We can lose them due to broken relationships. And, we can lose them by failing to develop the strength of character in them that they will need to resist evil. Elisha did not know what had happened but he guessed something was not right; otherwise, she would not be traveling to find him. Elisha sent his servant out to greet this well-to-do-woman with three questions: Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your child?

On this Mother's Day 2001 I would suggest to you that these three questions are as relevant today as they were when they were first spoken almost 3000 years ago. Let us take a look at this story and the three questions it raises.

1. Is it well with you?
2. Is it well with your husband?
3. Is it well with your child?