God’s Children

1 Samuel 1:20-22. 24-48 & Luke 2: 41-52 

Today’s Reflection: On this feast of the Holy Family, the Church combines Hannah offering her son back to God and the story of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus for three days before finding him in the temple. Why put these passages together? Beyond the OT types of Hannah and Samuel that prefigure Mary and Jesus (yes, this will need to be another blog post), what does this mean for a mom like you and me? 

Whether you have young ones right now or older children who are grown, as moms, we never stop praying and hoping that their faith will be the guiding force in their lives. That every decision they make, big or small, will be considered in light of God’s will for them.

Hannah longed for a child and resolved from the beginning that if God granted that request, that child would belong to Him. Not the half-hearted prayer that says the words, but doesn’t truly mean them. Come on mom, you know what I mean. We pray for Jesus to be the Lord of their lives, but we live as if we are. We want to control and manage. We believe we know best. We struggle to see our children as able to make wise choices without our help. And what do we do with it when they start to think differently then what we’ve taught? We forget that they have never truly been ours. Hannah got it.

And Mary’s story? Hmmm. She loses her son. Don’t get me started on the worry and stress that must have been palpable for her and Joseph for three days! I’ll bet everyone reading this can feel that heart dropping fear that hits when you turn around and don’t see your child when they were literally right there a second ago.

If your kids are older, maybe the feeling isn’t about them being lost in a certain location. Maybe it’s about them being lost in other ways. Have they grown worldly? Have they turned their back on the faith you raised them in? Have they just become lukewarm? That heart dropping fear is just as real, isn’t it? Because when they were younger, you could just fix it. But again, these children are not ours. They must own their faith.

So, what examples do we have in Hannah and Mary? We have a sold out faith in God’s promise and power. We see women who trust their most beloved gifts to One who can handle whatever comes.

We see a total gift of self. One that says, “It’s not about me, Lord. It’s about my child and YOU.”

And when you read the passage in Luke, it seems as if Mary is angry at Jesus and that he is dismissing her concern. But look closer. Mary speaks out of a mother’s heart, rightly so, but her son (and Lord) gently reminds her to have faith. “Why were you searching for me? Do you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” As moms, we must have faith that the love for God we tried to instill and our prayers for our children will bear fruit. We need not search and worry. God loves our children even more than we do, because St. John reminds us in 1 John 3, that we are Children of God.

Rest in that, Momma. Remember that even Mary took these things and kept them in her heart. Fear not, God has each of your children and even if they seem lost, you need not fear. Give them to the Lord as Hannah did and have faith that one day, you will find them again in their Father’s house.

XOXO,

Barb

Bonus: The following was my reflection from a few years back (December 2016). I can’t believe I’ve been doing this now for over 2 years. It’s still as relevant today as it was back then. 

Today’s Reflection: Yesterday, I made a promise to myself that I would get back in the habit of my morning Scripture reading and reflection. That I would dedicate this new year to specifically praying for each of my children. Then, this morning, Hannah’s words leap off the page with clarity and a challenge.

How she could give this child that she had prayed desperately for, over to the Lord so completely… astounds my heart every time I think of it. Really? I have five precious souls that He has trusted me with and yet, I find I want to hold on so tight even though I know that they truly belong to Him. I watch them grow and with each new stage, I must let go a little more. And for someone who likes to be in control, that can be a challenge.

But, Hannah reminds me, that I must have faith in my children, in how we’ve tried to raise them, and most especially, in the Lord. I will give each of them back to Him. I will lift them up in prayer every day and watch what the Lord calls them to.