Hannah-mother to Samuel

1Samuel 1:24-28, "Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah of flour, and a container of wine. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, even though he was young. Once the bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to Eli. She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. I prayed for this boy, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. Now I dedicate him to the Lord. From this time on he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then they worshiped the Lord there."

Hannah prayed for a son! She had been baron for years! She longed for a son so deeply that she went to the temple and prayed unto the Lord. Her desires and prayers came from so deep in her soul that the prophet Eli accused her of being drunk! Then God blessed her with an answer to her prayers. He gave her a son! He was a gift from the Lord and a gift to the Lord! When he was weaned, Hannah took him to the temple and gave him back to God!

Can you imagine that? God would never ask that of us, right?

Isobel Kuhn received a burden and a call to the Lisu tribe (in Burma) as a young lady! This call came to fruition with much, prayer, study, faith, and sacrifice! Through it all her resolve remained firm! As was the custom for missions boards in the early to mid 1900s, when missionary children reach school age they are sent to a boarding school, often far away from the parents, opened by the missions board. Isobel's daughter was no exception. The Missions board instructed the Kuhns what school to place her in and they obeyed. Isobel, by her own confession, was a woman of deep affections and she grieved at having to send her daughter away, but listen to what she said after she stopped grieving and starts trusting God.

Galatians 5:24, and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (strong desires).

"….a deeply affectionate nature. But the very intensity of such love has a danger… the danger of selfish possessiveness. Such a pure love as mother love, if it becomes too possessive, can blight the life of the child." - (Isobel Kuhn, In the Arena)

"….blight the the life of the child." Wow! Blight means to infect; to harm or destroy something by infecting it! There is not one of us mothers that would purposely "blight" our child, yet many of us raise our children from our affections and deep desires, and we believe it to be God's love!

Like Hannah and Isobel, are we not asked to give up "custody" of our children? Are they not as much a gift to us as Samuel was to Hannah? Are we not asked to crucify our affections and strong desires and let our "mother love" become God's love? When I am mothering from my affections and strong desires, I will protect my children from their emotions, crippling them from being able to lay those emotions on the alter! I will shelter them from grief and pain that creates a capacity to be stretched, and in my affections, I will infect them with my own insecurities and sentimentally! Many times I have "loving" sheltered or protected my children from the very hand of God which created them and placed them in my womb. I held tightly to them, so tightly that there was no room for God to work. If we expect perfection from our children, how can they learn the grace of God? If we protect them from mean spirited people and hurtful things, how can they learn to love their enemies? If we fight their battles, how can they learn to run to Jesus?

When my daughter was 18 months old, she was accidentally dropped on her head. As I scooped her up in my arms, she stopped breathing. Her lips were blue. My father quickly placed his hands on her head and prayed. We watched the color return and her eyes open. As we rushed her to the hospital, she was unresponsive and I cried out to God, "Don't take my baby!" He quietly spoke and told me she was His to do with as He pleased and that He loved her more than I ever could! He told me to give all my children to Him, and then he revealed to me, that at some point, He would take a child from my loving embrace and into His. It was not that day though, and she recovered fully! It was a lesson I took to heart, and though, to this day, I have not learned it completely, He has proven to me that He deserves "custody" of my babies! My affections and strong desires, at best, blighted my children!

God was true to His word, and, at 24 years of age, our son Jacob was gathered into the arms of God! The ultimate test of faith for "mother love"!

In 1Samuel 1:28b it says, then they worshipped the Lord there! Hannah gave her son to God and WORSHIPPED!

Mother love is beautiful! It is a gift from God! A love like no other, but it is so strong that it is easy to take ownership and possession over the child that God gifted us to love! Without God, we would never experience this phenomenon called, "mother love!" I am learning to give Him custody of my children and then to worship the Lord!!!!

Widows; women who have lost their husbands by death

I am thinking of two widows mentioned in the Bible, one in 1Kings 17, the other in Luke 21. Many years passed between these widows, about 800, but their circumstances were much the same. They were women with no husbands to care for them. They had no financial security. They had no retirement plan. They had no state assistance. They were completely at the mercy of those around them and God.

Since there was a drought, the widow in Zarephath was on her own. She would have been a burden to her father's house. More mouths to feed! Having no other recourse, she turned to God because her god's had failed her. I think we can safely assume that she trusted Him for her very life. She had no choice!

It tells us in 1Kings that the widow was preparing, what she thought would be, the last meal for her and her son. Do you understand what this means? She had nothing! She had seen this day coming for a long time, yet she was not bitter and angry, because she had a relationship with God. We know this because God told Elijah, in 1Kings 17:9, that He had told a widow in Zarephath to provide for him. God had confidence that she would do as He said. He knew that she was completely available to His will, because she trusted God for her very life. Whether she lived or died was in God's hands! All else was stripped away. All else was trivial! She didn't worry about her clothes. She wasn't consumed with having her house clean. She didn't care if her hair was perfect or not! NO! Her concern was, would this be their last meal. Yet, when we read the scriptures, she really does not seem that concerned. She seems to have accepted her fate.

It reminds me of Queen Esther. Her heart was, "If I die; I die".

She was stripped of all else. She had no social standing! She had no money! She had no dignity, but she had God! She had mercy! She had peace!

Oh if we could be like her, but we hold tightly to things! We have our needs! We have our wants. We have our budgets and our schedules. These things consume our thoughts and our hearts. If God were to say to us, "Take your last meal and provide for a stranger's needs", would we do it? Would we with confidence prepare our last meal and give it away?

As I read 1Kings 17, I was struck with how she went about her business. Elijah did not find her weeping and wailing, holding tightly to her last meal. No, she was gathering wood to cook their last meal. Her words to Elijah were,

"As certainly as the Lord your God lives, I have no food, except for a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. Right now I am gathering a couple of sticks for a fire. Then I’m going home to make one final meal for my son and myself. After we have eaten that, we will die of starvation.”

^{Man, I have trouble trusting God for my rent sometimes!}

^{There are so many lesson in this story, but another, that really struck me, was how calm she was! If that were me…. I would have been running from house to house begging crying, reasoning!}

^{"We are going to die! Please help us!"}

^{Not so with her! She was not placing her hope and trust in people! It was all God! If I die; I die! But the most amazing thing for me was that she gave her last meal to a stranger. She explained her circumstances; she listened as he reassured her, and then she obeyed God, even unto death! Not once does she place herself and her personal needs first!}

^{My minds go back to my childhood. I was the youngest of 8 children, and money was scarce! Trying to feed us all was a struggle. My mom worked hard to make the food stretch to keep 5 boys and 3 girls fed, but not once did she ever turn a person away! I remember her saying, more than once,}

^{"You can always add another potato to the stew."}

^{We fed neighborhood kids, missionaries, strangers, and friends. My parents taught me that if you have a little and your neighbor has nothing, you share! That is the widow's mite! A strange as it seems, giving from nothing is often easier than given from a surplus! If you have nothing, your plans and goals and dreams can come from nothing but God!}

^{Just so no one thinks I'm saying it's wrong to have a surplus, I will balance my thoughts here. It is great when God blesses us with a surplus, but is it God's or is it mine? Whether it be money, time, or other things we depend on in life, are we willing to give it to a stranger? Do we scurry around making sure that we have the comforts of life? Do we panic if plans fall through or life looks bleak? Do we hold tightly to what brings us comfort, saying we need this to survive? When someone calls with a need, do we offer our last meal? When others are in crisis, do we set aside our housework and listen? When our neighbor desperately needs a night out with her husband, do we cancel our plans and watch her children? Are we willing to set aside our busy schedule to be available to others? Do we put another potato in the stew? Does God have so much confidence in us that he can send someone in need to us, with the assurance that we will set aside our own needs to provide for theirs?}

^{Oh this is my desire! I desire for God to confidently say, don't worry, I already talked to Jen and she will provide for you! I want Jesus to look up, like in Luke 21:2, and commend me! I want him to see my heart and know that I trust Him with my life.}

^{I learned from the widows to hold onto nothing for myself. I want to be a Matthew 16:25 Christian.}

^{"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it!"}

Single moms

Single mothers: brave women who are raising their children on their own.

I have known many single moms and I have learned much from all of them. How they became single moms is irrelevant except that it usually was a painful experience. I think of one mom in particular that I watched raise her three daughters. She became a single mom when her youngest was still a baby. Though she never discussed it, I know being a single mom was not her dream. I know that there was much personal pain for her, but I saw her set that pain aside, and put all of her energy into raising her 3 girls.

She believed 1Peter 5:10,

And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

She was a living example of this verse.

As a mom of three (now 4) young children of my own, I was very aware of the responsibilities of a mom! I found them overwhelming at times but I had a husband to lean on and to guide me through the tough times. Single moms do it alone! Well, we are never really alone are we? My point is that it is always easier to work as a team than to be the lone provider, disciplinarian, cuddler, cook, nurse, counselor, guider, and so much more!

Jesus told the disciples in Mark 10 to let the people bring their children unto Him, and then in verse 16, it says He took them in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them! Oh isn't that what we want for our children! Don't we all lay awake at night begging God to lay His hands on them and to bless them! I know I did, and I know my friend did! I watched her bring her children one by one to God. I watched her pray with them, teach them, and cry for them! All the time setting aside her own needs and desires! I watched her laugh with them and play with them. I watched her work hard so that they could go to Christian school. I watched her skimp and save to give them memorable birthdays and make sure the Christmas tree had what they wanted under it! I watched her stand strong on her convictions even when they kicked and screamed against them. I saw her tears and heard her laughter! Sometimes I rode the roller coaster of parenting with her, sometimes I watched and prayed, but always I was amazed at her resolve and her love for her children! She brought them to Jesus, He held them in His arms, placed His hands on their heads and blessed them. I secretly prayed to be like her! Yes, she suffered, but it made her stronger!

I learned from my friend, and other single moms, to suffer quietly! We all will suffer! It is inevitable! The question is, how do we suffer? Do we suffer knowing that the God of all grace will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us, or do we suffer loud and long! I know sometimes I do the latter! HA! It is not pretty!

So if her daughters are reading this (you know who you are) take a moment today and hug your mom tight! She is amazing! Follow her example as you raise your kids and you will be awesome moms also!

To my friend, you have always blessed me! I know I don't call like I should, and I never write, but don't let that make you believe I have forgotten our friendship! You have a pile of crowns waiting for you in heaven! When I am done throwing mine at the feet of Jesus, you will just be making a dent in your pile! Let's get together sometime so that you can tell me how the God of all grace has restored, confirmed,strengthened and established you!!!!!!!

All moms and moms to be; bring your children to Jesus. Let Him care for them, and suffer quietly!

Rachel: daughter of Laban, wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin

We first read of Rachel in Genesis 29:9. She is bringing her father's sheep to the well. Jacob sees her and falls in love. The story goes on to tell us that he asked her father, Laban, if he could marry Rachel. Her father agreed to let his daughter marry Jacob after he worked seven years for Laban as payment for her. Though the Bible does not reveal Rachel's thoughts or feelings it makes it clear that Jacob was head over heels in love with Rachel. In verse 35 it says that seven years seemed like a few days. That is love. It also leads me to believe that Rachel was well aware of his feelings and probably reciprocated! Jacob waited seven years and so did she. That is a long time to wait for a husband. Having a husband and sons was a means of protection, and assurance for the future! Without a husband women were of little value. Without sons, if something should happen to their husband's, they would face homelessness or worse. Seven years Rachel waited to be Jacob's wife. Seven years she waited to have a family name and covering. Then the day comes and her father gives her sister leah as a bride to Jacob. Oh the humiliation! Oh the pain! Oh the sorrow! Rachel was not getting younger. Her chances of getting a husband were getting slimmer with each year. Not to mention the man whom she loved was married to her sister! Oh the betrayal. She had no idea what Jacob would do!

Jacob, upon finding he was married to leah not Rachel, went right to Laban. " What in the world have you done to me?" He was shocked! He must have felt like he wasted seven years of his life. Laban agreed to let Jacob marry Rachel if he would work another seven years for him! Jacob agreed! His love was so deep for Rachel. As soon as Leah's bridal week ended, Rachel and Jacob were married.

Rachel would forever have to share her husband with her sister as the second wife, but Leah would forever be unloved! It was Leah that God took pity on! It was Leah who bore Jacob his first son, then another, and another and another. Leah gave Jacob six sons and a daughter and still Rachel was childless! It seems that God once again was making Rachel wait! Why? What did He want from her? Why bless Leah with so many sons and none for Rachel? we will never know the reason this side of eternity, but the scriptures gives us a hint. Every son that was born to Leah, she knew and acknowledged, was from God. Maybe God wanted Rachel's heart? She was raised with Pagan gods. As we see later on they had great meaning to her. Rachel did not wait graciously! She was not content with just being the love of Jacob's life! She wanted and needed sons! She became jealous of Leah and angry at Jacob! She demanded that he give her sons or she would die! She took matters in her own hands and gave Jacob her handmaiden. This does not speak to me of waiting peacefully on God, being content with God's plan! She even bargained with her sister to gain some mandrake ( which was believed to be an aphrodisiac)! She bargained with her husband's bed. She was a desperate woman. She was not waiting patiently for God's timing! Her plan backfired on her though, and Leah became pregnant with her fifth son! Oh the indignity!

Again, there is no record of Rachel's thoughts but something changed, because finally, after Leah had given Jacob six sons, Rachel became pregnant! It says that God took note of Rachel. Something caused Him to open her womb. Perhaps she became humble! Perhaps she came to a place where she said, ok God your will be done! Rachel finally gave Jacob a son. His name was Joseph, and Jacob loved him! He was the favored son! I think it is noteworthy that Rachel did acknowledge God by saying that he had removed her shame! I'm sure she was very happy! The waiting was finally over. It does not, however, say that she was content to have one son, it does say in Genesis 30:24, that she asked the Lord to give her yet another son! She needed sons for her future to be secure if anything ever happened to Jacob! Was her faith in God? Was her trust for her future in God and His plan, or was she once again taking things into her own hands?

After Joseph was born, Jacob decided to take his family and leave Laban's land! As they tried to sneak away, Rachel steals her father's idols! There are many theories as to why she stole them, but it is most likely that these idols still meant something to her! After all, she needed a backup plan in case this God of JAcob failed her, Right? What if God made her wait again? There is never a time when we are told that Rachel was a woman of faith! I believe that she struggled with her faith! I believe that she saw her years of waiting, both for marriage and for a son, as wasted years. It is possible that she blamed God.

We will never know the true story this side of eternity. I do know that God's timing is not my timing! I do know that we have dry periods in our lives where we wait. Whether it be for a husband, for a child, for a washing machine, for a friend, whatever it's for we all wait! How do we wait though? Do we wait with faith in God's timing and plan? Do we wait with peace? Romans 8:25, But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with Patience wait for it! Maybe Rachel did wait with patience! I don't really know, but I do know that for whatever reason God asked her to wait for her husband, and then to wait again for a son! We all will wait! The question is how do we wait?

I learned from Rachel that sometimes I will have to wait . That will not change. I will not be excluded from that frustrating and sometimes painful experience, But God will take notice, in His time. Until then, I will wait with patience!