Little Helper

Mike and I have recently been reading up on raising children. Max is at the age (almost 2) where he can understand discipline. It has been our prayer from the beginning that he would be a worshiper of Jesus AT AN EARLY AGE.

I was reading the story of Hannah and Samuel today. It's always been a touching story to me. I read it when I was first pregnant with Max. I came across it again today, and for the first time I understood a little of what Hannah must have felt to literally hand her child over to God when he was just 3 or 4 (maybe older, who knows when the weaned children then). I cannot CANNOT imagine the pain she must have felt to say good bye to her little boy. Her first child.

But what really struck me today were these verses: "Now Samuel, though only a boy, was the Lord's helper. He wore a linen tunic just like that of a priest.... Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord" (I Samuel 2:18, 19 and 21). Now THAT is what I want for Max...and also for Little Mini, yet to be born. How do we lead him (them) to this? What will it cost us? What pain will we feel as we realize more and more that he (and she) is GOD'S, not ours? Oh, this is a hard job! It's beautiful and amazing and full of purpose, but it's HARD!