And Hannah made a vow saying, "Lord, if you will look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord." -1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV)
Hannah was without child and deeply troubled by it. She was being ridiculed by Elkanah's other wife and children. It was almost more than she could take. And yet somehow Hannah found the faith to pray. What I find interesting is that Hannah bargains with God, saying that if God would grant her a child, she'd give that child back to God. It sounds like such a desperate prayer and I wonder if she really stopped to think about what she was praying. And yet, when God did answer her prayer, she kept her promise. It had to have been difficult for her to do it but she did it. We're later told that her faithfulness resulted in five more children.
All of us like people who keep their word- who do what they say they're going to do. All of us have been disappointed by people who didn't keep their promise. Today I'm mindful of the importance of doing what I say I'm going to do and I'm pondering the blessings that often follow such faithfulness.
May God grant you the grace to keep your promises to God and others today.
You're invited: If you're in the Fayetteville area, I invite you to St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church today at noon for our final Community Holy Week Service. A light lunch will follow. Then at 7pm, our church is hosting a Good Friday service depicting the final moments of Jesus' life. Please join us.
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