Naaman's wife

Written February 8, 2023, in response to a prompt in One Day I Wrote Back by Jane Herring which invited me to creatively rewrite 2 Kings 5:1-16 from the perspective of Naaman’s wife.

The night before I told my small group some prompts would resonate with us more than others, “for example, there’s no way I’m going to do the prompt where I write from the perspective of Naaman’s wife.” But then for some reason the next morning I was compelled to do just that. The intent was not to imagine how she actually would have experienced it or incorporate every aspect of the story, but rather to creatively and prayerfully imagine her perspective, let that imaginative process be a source of insight, and then let the writing process reveal even more (without worrying about writing well). This was our very first day “writing back,” and my experience encouraged me for the remainder of the book to try the prompts I was not initially drawn to and to be intentional about exploring perspectives I would normally overlook.

            My husband, Naaman, has been struggling with a skin condition for years. It can be a little unattractive at times and I know it’s a source of discomfort for him, but it really isn’t that big of a deal. He has been wounded in battle before and wasn’t as much of a baby about that as about his skin! And all around we see people suffering from much more serious, often fatal illnesses. I know it bothers him. A lot. I try to have compassion and not just judge him for what I see as vanity. I really do wish it would go away so he could stop worrying about it.
            Today, my servant came to me and was awkwardly trying to tell me something. I asked what was on her mind and she said she might know how Naaman could be cured. She was hesitant to say anything because she knows how insensitive people can be when they suggest all the treatments that have been tried or claim meditation or essential oils can heal conditions that need actual medical treatment. I assured her I was open to her ideas so she told me about a man, who she called a prophet, from her hometown who can cure people. I asked her more and she said she didn’t understand it, but he has so much faith and can just somehow do incredible things. I thought Naaman might as well try. And there was something about her conviction that gave me hope.
            I just told Naaman about the prophet. He is way more enthusiastic than I expected. He will try anything to be cured no matter how ridiculous. I hope this works out. He went to see the king and now they have some crazy plan that involves the king of Israel and a bunch of money. Naaman can never let anything be simple.
            Naaman just got home, and he is a new man! His skin has been healed, but that has nothing to do with it. He is finally worshipping God! He thinks it’s the god of Israel, and I’ll just let him think that. At least for now. But the Lord our God is one. I am so happy for him. For all of us. I wonder what would have happened if he had been disappointed, if he had not been healed. God would still be worthy of his worship. I hope he can remember this experience and know God is with him and loves him when a time comes in which his prayers are not answered in the way he wants.