Mother's Day

Hello Again Ladies!

As we approach mother’s day this coming Sunday, I have been reflecting on mothers in the Bible and my very own sweet mother. ☺

Last night I listened to our prayers over lost family members and friends in our lives. We spoke names. Calling them out one-by-one. As we went through those names I couldn’t help but imagine the life that each name represented. Each name = one life = a decision to bow to Christ or unfortunately it may = a decision not to bow to Christ.
I found my heart being so convicted of grouping “the lost” together in prayers and not calling them out individually. Billy. Elizabeth. Hazel. Dennis. Jimmy. Roger. Chris. Audrey.
Pause.
Each of the names, a person, a life, a soul… who needs the Father.
So many of these people represent our children, our mothers, our fathers, our sister, our brother, our aunt, our uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, friend, or co-worker. People we love.
One relationship that is resonating most in my heart is that of a mother and the longing of the salvation of her child. I have watched many-a-woman in our ministry, and others I have met along the way, who have been broken over the wayward lost-ness of her child. As a young lady, who looks forward to one day holding an infant of my very own in my arms, I already ache for the salvation of my children. I long for them to know, love, and serve Christ. Even now as my children are but a glimmer in my eye; I pray for their salvation.

Resting in the peace of God, we know that our children are not our own, but rather they belong to the Lord. I want to take you to a section of scripture where we find a mother who knows that her child belongs not to her, but to the Lord.

Go to 1 Samuel Chapter 1.
Stop! Do not pass Go! Do not collect $200! Read this passage first! I will even help you find it. Go get your Bible. It may be in the car (I hope not). It may be beside your bed, or your favorite chair.
Open It! Go past Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers, skip a few, Judges, Ruth, then you made it 1 Samuel Chapter 1. Please Read!

Okay! Don’t shoot me! I wanted you to see a mother’s love for her child written in the text. Thanks to the preacher in chapel this morning, I got to see this for myself as well.

Ladies here we met Hannah. Mother of Samuel the priest. The priest who anointed King David. Christ came from the family line of King David. So, Samuel, son of Hannah, must be a pretty important man!
We first see that God caused Hannah to be barren and without child. She was broken over her inability to bear a son. Notice in verse 10 that she “was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly” I believe all mothers can identify with her desperation. She prayed. She gave her son to the service of God all the days of his life. Basically, she was saying “Bless me Lord with a son, and I will give him back to you” Have you ever prayed this prayer? “Lord Bless me with something, and then when you give it to me, I will give it back to you. All I want is for you to be glorified Lord.” What happens when the Lord actually blesses us with that something or in this case a son? Do we give it/him back to the Lord for the Lord’s pleasing? Hannah did.

Read vs. 27 and 28. “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

Hannah gave her only son to the Lord. I believe Hannah’s desire to have a son was out of motivation to better the Kingdom of God.

My mother has always told me that she gave me to the Lord as a baby. I want to pause for a moment with gratitude in my heart for her. I firmly believe that I am the woman I am today because of that decision she made almost 24 years ago. Praise God!

There is nothing like a love of a mother for her child. It can not be described. At this time in my life, I am on the receiving end of this love. I have a memory of my mother that warms my heart; when I was a small girl she used to rock me in this old cricket-y rocking chair. I am not sure from where the rocking chair came. It is all wood with a dark mahogany stain. The rocking chair must have been handed down from one of our family members because it is about to fall apart. You could tell many a baby/child has been rocked in this rocking chair. It would make this distinct creeky noise each time she rocked me back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She would sometimes sing to me the song, “You are my Sunshine.” Other times she might have read to me; probably our favorite book “Love you Forever” by Robert Munsch. It is a book about a mother’s love for her son. She would sneak into his room at night and rock him. In the book, she would sing "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be." I know as long as I am living I will always be my mothers baby. I could imagine Hannah rocking her beloved son, maybe even saying these words. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as your living the Lord's you will be."
This mothers day, may we be thankful for a mother who gave her son to the Lord. This mother's day, may we give our children born and unborn to the Lord, for His glory and for His honor. As I said earlier each name given in prayer for salvation represents a life and it also represents a mother who is in desperation over her child's salvation. More importantly it represents a Heavenly Father who longs for his child to know Him, love Him, and serve Him.
May we never skip over a name.DennisAudreyElizabethChrisHazelJimmyRogerMattWilsonJoeTimRonFrankJohnLanceJamesRussellJayErinEricaMelissaHeather



Happy Mother's Day!
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*Thank you to Mr. Palmer today at Southeastern Chapel for this inspiration. *Thank you to a mother who, like Hannah, gave me to the Lord. I love you MOM!