Friends

One of my most favorite stories from the Bible is about Samuel. If you are not familiar (and want to bear with the teacher in me) with the story it began with Elkannah, Penninah, and Hannah. Penninah and Hannah were wives of Elkannah (yes, two, sinful Bible times). Penninah and Elkannah had children, but God had not blessed Elkannah and Hannah with children. Hannah wanted nothing more than to be blessed with a son, and after suffering from Penninah’s unkind words regarding her inability to conceive she stole away to the Temple to go and pray. There she kneeled in prayer, sobbing, to God with her hurts, burdens, praises, and wants. Noticing that a woman was in the Temple, seemingly muttering words not understandable, Eli, the high priest, approaches Hannah and attempts to at first kick her “drunk” little self out of the Temple. Upon realizing she was not drunk, just sorrowfully humbling herself before God (which during those times was unheard of from a woman in the Temple alone), he tells her to go and that “God will answer her prayers.” God infact did, as Samuel, which means “asked of God” arrived nine months later. Hannah promised God that if she was so blessed to be given a son, she would return him to the Temple to learn to serve God. So at a very young age, Hannah and Elkannah take Samuel to the Temple and leave him there with Eli where he begins his work for the Lord. While there, Samuel serves God with a servant’s heart…doing all the small but important “pittle-y” jobs. In comes my favorite part…while sleeping one night Samuel is awakened by someone calling him. Quickly and obediently he goes to Eli saying, “You called, what can I do for you?” Eli tells Samuel that he did not call for him. Well, this happens THREE other times. Until Eli realizes that it is GOD that is calling Samuel…and Eli hence tells Samuel, “Samuel, it is the Lord that is calling you…next time you hear the calling sit up and respond: God, it is I…I am here.”

I can not count the times that my Eli, a.k.a. my friends, have shook me into realizing that God was calling me, attempting to make me “see”, or moving me in some kind of way when I, like Samuel, was unable to know that it was God calling. I am so thankful that God has provided me with so many Eli’s…and perhaps the reason he has is because I so frequently step off His path…and I need many to push me back and straighten me out. For all of you that have touched my life, and my family’s lives, I thank you. More than ever this time of year reminds me of what is most important and what I am most thankful for. I have spent many posts expressing my love and thanks for Mike, my boys, and my family. God is so intelligent and knew exactly what I needed in them….and today I am being moved to thank all of my friends and our friends. Life would not be as full as it is… without you. Please know that you are being lifted up every night in our prayers of thanksgiving…. And in Amy Grant's words….”my life will always be richer, for the time I’ve spent here with you…”