At different ages, we tend to think about our moms in different arenas. At age 4, you think she’s superwoman. At age 18, she’s so out of touch with the times. At age 35, you want to loop her in on important decisions and some of you just wish you could call mom one more time.
The story of Hannah and Samuel in 1 Samuel 1 is a time honored story about how godly women live. We are made aware that Hannah is infertile. So we learn early that Godly women have difficulties. Most of the time, we see Godly women with halos and angel wings. While that can be true, moms are just people and all people have difficulties.
Infertility in America is a growing problem. About 12% or 7.3 million people in America cannot have kids. Children are a blessing from God. And if you are struggling with infertility, I don’t know why you can’t have children and others can. But I do know this: your value to God is not based on your ability to have children. God loves you! You are made in his image. And you are part of a faith story that so many women of faith have as well.
To list a few godly women who struggled with infertility are Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who had her only child when she was 90 years old. Ruth, who was childless in her first marriage, remarried a guy named Boaz and so started the lineage of King David. Then there’s Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist who had him in her older years. So often childless women are the righteous matrarchs of faith.
Great mothers also keep great priorities. Hannah had a real, authentic relationship with God. She believed in the power of prayer and asked God to give her a son, which God eventually does. She also had a priority to love her husband, Elkanah. Even though she was childless, their marriage was one of honor, trust, support and true love.
Hannah also loved her extended family as well. Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah, always taunted Hannah because Hannah didn’t have kids and she did. But there is no record of Hannah getting back at Peninnah.
When Hannah finally had Samuel, she poured into her son before giving him back to the Lord to become the prophet and priest of Israel. For as many as 7 years, she taught him to love God and love people. She taught him the Hebrew ways of honoring God. She taught him to live in a way that honored God. Hannah used those first few years to mold Samuel into the incredible man he would become for Israel.
Finally, great mothers make great plans. Hannah promised and planned to raise Samuel in the fear of the Lord and then give him back to God to serve in Kingdom work the rest of his life. Both God and Hannah had planned on Samuel becoming the prophet and priest of Israel and the king-maker for Saul and David.
In your own life, what kind of parent are you? We all have problems we deal with on a day-to-day basis. Do you include God in your difficulties with prayer just like Hannah? And do you set priorities to love God, your spouse, and your family just like Jesus loves you? What plans do you have in place to make sure your children know who the Lord is?
Parenting is an adventure. We are blessed to have children. Live every day in such a way to help those around you to see just how important God is in life. Blessings on the journey.