A mother's prayer and 25 years

And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.  – 1 Samuel 1.11

On the 25^th of November 1992, the day before Thanksgiving, my dear mother slipped into eternity. Today marks twenty-five years since that day. In some ways 25 years seems like an eternity, but when I think of my mom and the memories flood back it seems like it just happened. Last week a local radio station played Patti Page’s ‘Tennessee Waltz.’ It was Mom’s favourite song and when they played it I could hear her puttering around the kitchen singing it. At the time I am sure I thought it was silly and bothersome, but oh what I would give to hear her today.

So how do these sappy memories apply to the passage in 1 Samuel?

When I was ordained to ministry in January 1992 Mom told me something I had never heard before. She told me that way back in the autumn of 1954 when they were living at Ladd Air Force Base in the frontier town of Fairbanks, Alaska. She discovered that she was pregnant and she and my dad really wanted a son. Mom began praying for a son and had read the story of Hannah. She told God that is He would give her a son she would give him back to God to be a preached.

For nearly 40 years she never said a word to influence me to take that path. She was just there loving and caring and welcoming my friends and guiding and being Mom. It took those 40 years for me to be shaped and moulded and transformed into the man I needed to be to be a preacher of the gospel.

I am where I am today largely because of my mother’s Hannah prayer. What work is done here for God’s glory began when a mother prayed for a son.

Thank you Mom. I love you and miss you every day. I look forward to seeing you soon.