Happy Mother’s Day!
My mom and sister, and Yours Truly.
I wanted to pop in on Mother’s Day to wish you all a lovely, God blessed day!
I love celebrating the one(s) who raised us!
I was blessed with a wonderful mother. I had lovely grandmothers. I’ve had strong examples of Godly women in and around my life. I am blessed!
But this hallowed day can be painful for some. Perhaps you’ve lost your Mom. Or maybe your relationship is strained.
Maybe your desire for your own children has gone unfulfilled.
I’d always planned to have children but after three years of marriage, the Lord came to me with a proposition.
“Is it okay with you if you don’t have children?”
What?
I shook it off. Who and what was that?
Deep down, I knew the Lord had asked me a valid question. He was inviting me to walk a more narrow road. It was an unfamiliar one leading toward a destiny I could not forsee.
There was no doubt about my answer, however. “Yes, Lord, whatever You want. As long as you give me the peace.”
My husband also said, “Yes,” to the Lord.
There have been days when I wondered, “Lord, why did you call me to this childless life?” Hubby and I would’ve been good parents. (In theory, eh?)
Certainly there is some selfish part of my heart a kid or two would’ve knocked right off. (ha!)
His invitation to me was about giving Him my right, my privilege, to bear children. I’m not sure I’ll understand the “why” of it in this life but I trust Him. There’s a blessing in surrendering to Him.
Recently I felt he answer my question. “I called you to this life for Me.”
What about you? Do you have children? Maybe a prodigal? Perhaps you don’t have kids, but long for a family.
Maybe your house overflows with children and grandchildren. Maybe you long for a deeper relationship with the Lord. (Don’t we all?)
Let’s look at 1 Samuel 1:8:
“Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Stop! Let’s read that last line again. “Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
[Tweet “”Am I not better to you than ten sons?””]There’s so much to unpack in that line.
In this exchange, Elkanah is a picture of Christ — “Am I not better to you than any desire of your heart?”
The Lord is better to us than ten sons!
What would it be like to have ten sons? Well, in Hannah’s day, honor. The other women would call her blessed!
There would be assurance that the family business would carry on. That if anything happened to her husband, she’d be provided for by a son.
She’d have abounding love! Daughters-in-law and grandchildren. Her house would be full of laughter and love. She’d never be alone or lonely!
She’d have purpose. A goal. A job. She’d work to feed and provide for those boys.
Families would bring their daughters and dowries to Elkanah to win his approval.
Hannah be honored among her peers.
But the love and kindness, and provision of the Lord is MORE than all of those things!
Hannah was so focused on what she didn’t have, and the taunting of the other wife, she missed the deep devotion and love of her husband.
She couldn’t enjoy what was in front of her. She was miserable.
Our goal is to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength no matter what our life circumstance. To look to Him for joy, peace and above all, purpose!
How often we get frustrated with God because we don’t have what we want. We’re looking for the honor and esteem of others, looking for our security.
But He’s leaning over us, whispering in the same pleading tone as Elkanah: “Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
He’s asking, “Can you be happy just loving me? Can I be enough for you?”
“Oh Lord, yes!”
How can we resist His overwhelming, radical love for us?
The challenge for us is to see Him as enough in every circumstance. Whether you’re a mother or not, married or not, content or not, He is with you. He is enough!
“I am better to you than ten sons?”
Whatever the issues of your heart this Mother’s Day, let Jesus be enough! Trust in His plan and provision for you. He knows what you need!
Be blessed!
Comments 15
What a beautiful blog post. And what a difficult thing the Lord asked of you and your husband.
This is a wonderful post for single women like me to remember when holidays like Mother’s Day comes around. This year was a good year for me, but I’ve had very difficult times in the past as I wait on God’s timing.
Thank you for this reminder that He is enough!
I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH CONTENTMENT FOR SOME TIME. LETTING GO OF WHAT I WANT, WHAT I FEEL I DESERVE AND CANNOT BE HAPPY WITHOUT IS THE TEST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ARTICAL,
THE LORD HAS PROVEN TO BE ENOUGH TIME AFTER TIME. WHAT A WONDERFUL AND FAITHFUL GOD WE SERVE.
I have been recently widowed after 31 years of marriage. My husband was everything to me. He married me when I was 21 and he was 22. During a moment of weeping I heard the Lord say, am I not better than 10 husbands? Yes, Lord you are and you will be. Help me to live a consecrated surrendered life that will bring glory to your name. The song Jireh is my anthem now. Jireh, you are enough
I will be content in every circumstance you are enough. And we know…….
Author
Tammy, I am so sorry for your loss. Grace and peace to you! I love the song Jireh and yes, He is enough. I pray you feel the Lord’s comfort daily. And he is better to you, and me, than 10 sons! Much love, Rachel
I remember telling God over and over, “Lord you’re better than 100 godly men”.
How I failed to believe the same. How I failed to treat Him with love and honor.
I’m 31, widowed even before I got married.
Every single day I ask Him “am I enough Lord”. However, in my words, He can hear “are you enough Lord”!
I’m often surprised that the Lord has a desire to be loved above all else. I do believe that He’s worthy to be loved above all else. But, this desire of His… Is so innocent. So pure. So kind. So mesmerizing. So authentic. He’s so different.
Karen, blessings to you!
What a beautiful writing. I stumbled on you blog looking for 1 Samuel 1:8 on my phone. Thank you so much.
The word of God is so refreshing and timeless. Lord Jesus take me to that point where you are all to me.
AMEN!
I’m so glad I read your telling of this passage in God’s word.
As a man it never set well with me listening to preachers take this out of context and make Helkanah look like a selfish abuser.
I’ve always connected it with Ruth 4:14-26 kjv.
Naomi had two sons with Elimelech, one with Ruth ( 7+3=10 , Both passages say ” Who loveth thee,” so I’ve always thought it was a term of endearment.
You’ve brought more light to this passage for me,
Thank you.
Blessings to you!
Wow. This spoke to me. Never married and no kids despite desperately wanting to have that. Yet my grandmother just died and she was the model to me of serving the Lord. I thought on my morning walk of this passage but for some reason I thought Naomi said it to Ruth that she was better than ten sons. So I got that wrong. But I thought that is what that passage meant – that having my grandmother was better than a husband and child and thankful to God for her. I couldn’t express what she did for me she raised me when my parents weren’t able with perfect love, kind patient, it’s her that makes me know God loves me.
Then I come inside the house and read this passage. Having her was the gift of the Lord to me and it was better than anything. I trust God’s plan with my life and unfulfilled desires because having her makes me know He loves me.
Author
I agree with you! The Lord’s gifts to us through others is “better than 10 sons.” But also, HE is better to us than 10 sons. I try to see being childless as a gift from the Lord to relate to Him in a unique way. It doesn’t make me better or less than anyone else, just this is my journey with Him. I loved Henri Nouwen’s book, “Clowning in Rome” he points out how the single person points the Body of Christ to focused devotion to the Lord while the married persons point the Body of Christ to community. We need both. Blessings to you! Rachel
Amen Stephanie! The Lord is better than 10 sons. I’ve recently asked the Lord to show me more relating to this!