Monday meditation: She prayed with a promise, and then kept her vow
Prayer is a mystery for many of us, which is one reason we can relate to the story of Hannah, chosen for us to read today.
Many of us, like Hannah, have wept and prayed repeatedly for something crucial to our hearts, but with no answer.
Others of us have seen an answer to such a prayer.
But how many of us have believed in prayer enough to promise a sacrificial response to God if he would answer? And how many of us have followed through with our vow once we were overwhelmed with the joy of receiving our heart’s desire?
Most of us could admit we’ve never prayed for something desperately enough to promise God we’d give it back to him if only he would provide. Maybe we don’t really believe he’d answer. Or maybe we’re afraid he would!
Responding to his gifts
On the other hand, God has already given us so much (and so much we never asked for). It’s a daily test to 1) recognize what he’s given, 2) handle it wisely in a way that pleases him, and—the really big challenge—3) give some of it away for him to use, without a thought for getting anything in return.
Caregivers may overlook number 1 and not stop often enough to think about number 2. But number 3? Oh yes, giving is what caregivers do—while receiving very little in return. The person in our care doesn’t appreciate how we measure every day by their needs. And those who watch from a distance can see only some of the details and demands we must tend to daily.
Most of caregiving is giving up: giving up our energy to meet the needs or preferences of someone else; giving up our choices to arrange our schedules and our meals and our pastimes around what will please the person in our care, giving up our plans to pursue a vast, sight-unseen path of mundane or difficult duties ahead.
Deciding to give again
If it all seems too much, maybe we can think again about Hannah keeping her promise to God. Maybe we can look at today’s Bible art and ponder that young mother leading her beautiful little boy away from home for service to the priest. Have any of us been required to give up so much?
Maybe we can believe God will honor such a gift. And maybe that will strengthen us to keep on giving, again and again and again.
Read: 1 Samuel 1:1-19, 24-28
Pray: God, give us strength when we feel we’re too weak to give any more. God, give us hope when we see no relief in our future. God, give us joy to realize how all we’re giving you is serving another and pleasing you. And even as we ask for more, we will thank you, God, for all you’ve already given.
Illustration copyright Classic Bible Art. All rights reserved. Click here for a list of events where you can see Classic Bible Art on display this year. For more information about securing a library of this beautiful art for yourself, see here or here. Some art in this series is available for you to license at Goodsalt.com.