Dear Hannah

If you could talk to any character in the Bible, who would it be? I've thought of different ones I'd like to talk to, but lately, I've been thinking of Hannah. Of course, I'll never talk to her until we meet in heaven, but suppose I could write a letter that went back in time...here's what I'd say...

Dear Hannah,

I've known you for a long time, from a distance. I read your story when I am praying for someone who is childless. I am blessed to read of your husband, Elkanah's love for you and also touched to read your very raw feelings and grief over being childless. I am so encouraged by your prayer to the Lord that day in the temple, and by the peace that God gave you after you prayed.

But today I am thinking about when you brought your little boy, your very precious first-born child, and left him at the temple. I am wondering about the raw feelings you felt then. You see, while my first-born son is already 14 years old, I am getting ready to take him far away and leave him there. I knew this would happen, and we have been working towards the day for a while now. I suppose you probably were working towards that infamous day too. My son is excited and ready to go to boarding school for his freshman year of high school. My husband and I know this is the right thing, that this is in the Lord's will. But, oh my, did the Lord's will hurt this much for you as well?

The other night I could bear the sadness no longer. I can't imagine family life without him around. I cried. I asked the Lord, "Please, is there any other way?" Did you ever ask the Lord that? Did you ever ask Him a question, even though you already knew the answer? I also asked God for a word, a verse, something... anything! And that has been my prayer for many days now.

Well, this morning I read Ephesians 3:14-18. "When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (NLT)

I just knew, this was now my prayer verses for my son. This is what I will be praying for him this coming school year. As I read the words, "your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong," I realized that my son going away to school is part of HIS story and journey with the Lord. Were I to hold him back, when he needed to go, I would be stunting his own spiritual growth! I admit that as a mother, I have often been tempted to overprotect my children. Sometimes God has to wrench my hand a little, when trying to get to my kids. I don't want to do that anymore. I want to free my son and his Lord to go on their journey together. Yes, I suppose even if it means that at the end of the summer I'll be waving goodbye for a little while.

So, I just wondered if you felt that way? Did you dread the approaching day? Did you struggle with your promise to bring Samuel to the temple and leave him there? You probably never dreamed that your story would land a spot in the Old Testament! But it did, and I find encouragement from your life testimony of faith and of following through with the Lord. I am hoping that, when the summer is over, and my son goes to boarding school, I can say, just like you did, "My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong." (1 Sam. 2:1a)