Letting Go…

By Amy Tromba

My heart rejoices in the LORD…I rejoice in Your salvation.  1 Samuel 2:1

I had eighteen years to prepare for this day. Eighteen years to enjoy all the blessings and even the hardships. Eighteen years to store up motherly treasures in my heart that would last a lifetime.

Nothing could have prepared me for this day; a blend of sadness and joy, bitter and sweet, pain and delight. After hours of chaos in his dorm room, everything was organized and put into place. One final prayer and hug in the parking lot. A quick wave as I drove away, and then a lone flight home, 1,564 miles away, for a tear-fest out of his sight.

Such was my experience dropping off my oldest son at college. For eighteen years, the foundation was laid for him physically, mentally, and spiritually. Now it was time for him to build upon it without my constant supervision.

How could I invest so much of my heart for so many years and walk away in a manner that seemed so abrupt? I wanted more time. I needed more time. I demanded more time. And then I thought of Hannah.

For so many years, Hannah lived without the blessing of motherhood. Each year, she would travel to the temple with a sorrowful heart, weeping in anguish as she prayed to God for a miracle. But nothing changed until, at the exact moment preappointed by God, Hannah gave birth to a son.

Oh, what joy she must have felt…her heart’s desire had finally come true.

Oh, what memories they would share…such great lessons to be taught.

But the results would be different than what most mothers anticipate when becoming a parent.

To praise the Lord for His goodness, Hannah chose to give her gift back to the Giver, but she didn’t wait until he was eighteen. No, she took her son to the temple when he was very young, just shortly after he was weaned. And there she worshiped the Lord by giving up her most valuable possession she had ever been given, so he could minister to the Lord forever, and her heart rejoiced in the Lord because of His salvation.

I had eighteen years to give constant care to my son…Hannah only had a few years, and yet she rejoiced in her heart for even this short amount of time. In fact, each year she would make a robe and bring it to Samuel. I wonder how many prayers were spoken over each stitch she made.

And so I began to rejoice in my heart for the Lord…thank you Lord that my son is healthy…thank you Lord that I had eighteen years to prepare him for adulthood…thank you Lord that I get to see my son more than once a year…thank you Lord that my son has believed in Your Name and desires to serve You with all his heart.

I may not have sewn my son a coat during his college years, but many prayers were spoken over the goodie packages that were sent between our visits.  And with His strength, I was able to step back through my tears and let go, allowing my son to take flight and soar to the heights God planned for his life. God is good, and there is much to rejoice about.

How about you…how has God been good to you?

When was the last time you praised God for sending His son, Jesus, to save you from your sins?

Are there some things you need to let go of and trust Him with?

There is none holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You,

there is no rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2