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Naaman was a brave captain in the army of the King of Aram.  He was a great warrior, but he had leprosy.  Leprosy is a disease that makes people's skin get white bumps and, in ancient times, they were thought to be "unclean."  It was a very sad thing for this courageous man to have this disease.  Today, we have drugs that can cure leprosy but then it just got worse and worse. Leprosy also caused lung infections, and that is usually how people died from it.

Naaman's wife had a slave from Israel.  She was treated more like a member of the family than a slave, and she was very sad that Naaman had leprosy.  She told Naaman's wife that Naaman should go to Israel and see the prophet Elisha, because she was sure that Elisha could cure Naaman. 

The King of Aram agreed that Naaman should go to Israel.  He sent a letter with Naaman asking the King of Israel to heal him.  The king of Israel thought this was a trick to start a war with him, because he had no idea how to cure leprosy!  The prophet Elisha heard about the situation, and sent word to the king to send Naaman to him.  The king was glad to get Naaman off his hands and sent him to Samaria to see Elisha.

Elisha didn't bother to see Naaman personally.  He sent a messenger who told Naaman to wash himself in the River Jordan seven times, and his leprosy would be cured.  Being treated so casually made Naaman angry, and he started back to Damascus.  He thought he could have washed himself in the rivers in Damascus. He was a captain to the king of Aram, and this prophet didn't even bother to see him! A river is just a river, after all, and the River Jordan was a muddy mess! 

Naaman's servants went to their master and asked him if Elisha had asked him to do something very difficult if he would have done it.  Naaman said he certainly would have.  So the servants asked him why he would be willing to do something hard but he was upset when Elisha asked him to do something so very easy.  It was a good question, and Naaman realized that after coming so far, he should at least try what Elisha told him to do.

Naaman washed himself in the River Jordan seven times, and his leprosy was cured!

Just like Naaman, sometimes doing what God wants us to do is really very easy, but we don't want to do it.