“And she made a vow, saying, “‘O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon 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 for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”’
~ 1 Samuel 1:11
Hi James and Ellen,
When you get as old as your grandmaa and grandpaa, what would you like to have guys, gals and kids know about you? Would you like to have everyone know about your family? Would you like to have everyone know about what you have done? Would you like to have everyone know about the things that you have? Would you like to have everyone know about the places where you have gone? When your grandpaa e-mails one of these missives to your dad, your grandpaa hopes that the missive will help you to know your grandmaa and grandpaa better. Your grandpaa wants you to get to know your grandmaa’s family and your grandpaa’s family. Your grandpaa wants you to know what your grandmaa and grandpaa have done and where they have lived. Your grandmaa and grandpaa about six years ago went to Colorado Springs, Colorado where they participated in what OC International calls internship. About thirty guys and gals spent five weeks together learning about OC International and listening to each other’s life stories. These guys and gals were OC International’s missionary candidates. Before becoming missionaries with OC International, your grandmaa and grandpaa had been for nineteen years missionaries with South American Mission. OC International requires that all their new missionary candidates participate in their annual internship – which they have every summer. Your grandmaa and grandpaa also went through an internship after they had been accepted by South American Mission. The internship that your grandmaa and grandpaa had with South American Missions took place in Boca Raton, Florida. Your dad was thirteen years old when that internship took place. Ask your dad if he remembers the night when he and your grandpaa went fishing off a pier during the time when he was in Florida during South American Mission’s internship.
When your grandmaa and grandpaa were in Colorado Springs for OC International’s annual internship, your grandmaa and grandpaa along with every other missionary candidate were expected to give their life story. Your grandmaa and grandpaa had an hour to tell their life stories together in front of the other missionary candidates and the OC International missionary staff who were there. An hour is not a long time for people as old as your grandmaa and grandpaa to talk about the things that have taken place in their lives. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were to tell everyone where they were born, what their families were like and what they had done. Your grandmaa and grandpaa took turns telling their life stories. Your grandpaa is telling you many of your grandmaa and grandpaa’s life stories through these e-mail letters. Do you know who Samuel is in the Bible? Samuel’s life story can be found in the Bible. Samuel’s life story begins in the first book that is named after him – in 1 Samuel 1. Samuel’s ma and dad are talked about in this first chapter of the first Samuel Book. During the time when the Old Testament books were scribed, guys often had more than one wife. Samuel’s dad had two wives. Their names were Peninnah and Hannah. Samuel’s dad – whose name was Elkanah, had a number of kids with Peninnah. Elkanah and Hannah did not have any kids together. This made Hannah very sad – as she really wanted to have a boy or a girl. Elkanah loved Hannah more than he loved Peninnah. Elkanah would give Hannah twice the amount of something – such as meat, than what he would give to Peninnah. How do you think Peninnah felt knowing that her husband loved his other wife more than her? Peninnah was jealous of Hannah. Peninnah would continuously remind Hannah that Hannah did not have any kids with Elkanah. Peninnah was not nice to Hannah. She did not encourage Hannah. Peninnah made Hannah feel worse and worse. Elkanah each year would take Peninnah and Hannah to Shiloh – which was where the house of the Lord was located, to worship God. Because Hannah wanted to have a kid so bad, Hannah would begin to cry and she would not eat anything during this time. Hannah one year decided to make a promise to God – if God would just let her have a boy with Elkanah. Verse 11 tell you what Hannah promised God “And she made a vow, saying, “‘O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon 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 for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”’ What do you think happened after Hannah made this vow or promise to God? Hannah became pregnant. A little boy was born. Hannah named her kid Samuel. Do you think Hannah would remember the promise that she had made to God? When Samuel was about three years old, Hannah took Samuel to Shiloh where she left Samuel with Eli – who was the high priest in God’s temple in Shiloh. Eli got to see Samuel grow up from being a little kid to a young guy. Samuel was born to be someone extraordinary. Samuel knew this. Samuel would be the last judge and the first prophet of a people group – the Israelite people group, who God had specially chosen for Himself.
You are extraordinary to God. God has given both of you as gifts to your ma and dad. Your ma and dad are to help you to know God just as Eli helped Samuel to know God. As you know more and more about God and all that God has done for you through His Son Jesus Christ, the more that you will want to thank God for everything that He has done for you. Your grandmaa and grandpaa are praying that when you get as old as your grandmaa and grandpaa that your life stories will be about how you have heard and how you have been obedient to God’s voice to follow Him as faithful servants in whatever God calls you to do. You can be very thankful that you have a dad and ma who will help you both on your life journeys just as Samuel had his ma and a high priest help him begin his life journey.
I Samuel 1 (39)