The vow

 THE VOW (1 SAM 1:24-28)

She stared into his eyes as he latched upon her breast with so much eagerness,the expression he made with his hands shows that he was having a swell time enjoying the most nutritious natural God given delicacy for infants. 

She couldn't help but gaze in admiration at the bundle of joy in her arms over and over again. She carefully puts the baby into his crib, while he sleeps soundly. She kept staring at him even while the little one sleeps.  It's been few months after his arrival, but she hardly slept due to the *butterflies in her belly*😍😘 as time pass by she couldn't help but observe every little change that occurs in the boy every day.

As she sat by the side of the crib, admiring her gift, the sound of the door jolted her back from her *fantasy*😎🤩. It was her husband. He quietly moved towards where she was and ran his hands through her hair and said: darling, you should try to get some rest now that Sammy is sleeping. She responded saying: I can hardly sleep, my insomnia is a joyful one, she sighed with a smile on her lips, she spoke again: so I can still become a mother....it all seems like a dream....if it is a dream...may I never wake up from this dream. Elkannah carefully rubbed her shoulder and patted her back saying : Hannah try to catch some sleep....

She slept....

All she did even in her sleep was dancing with the little prophet in her hands...while she rocked him and asked him questions : where  were you all this while, where were you when mockery and ridicule was the order of the day in my life? She asked playfully as she tickled the little baby on his cheeks.Thank you Lord!!!🧕 Thank you the Lord God of Shiloh!!! these were words she muttered even from her sleep. She tossed and turned on her bed...a sound of a crowing Cockerel jolted her out of her sleep and the baby also by this time began to cry...

Time flies...

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, months into years:and the time to wean Samuel arrived... She was able to wean without much stress as he cooperated with the food he was introduced to. Hannah braced up , looked her son in the eye ...it was an emotional scenario/ season for Hannah, but a vow had been made. She said to the young lad: My darling son, you are precious gift to me, you wiped away my public and private tears, your conception silenced the voices of my mockers,  you turned my ridicule into a miracle, I am eternally grateful to God for letting me have you.

Hmmm she sighed...it took a vow to have you Samuel, now I must fufill the vow of giving you back to the Lord.

The night before their journey to Shiloh....

Hannah sobbed greatly...Elkannah comforted with soothing words..."Don't worry , he will be fine". Hannah responded:I know he will be fine but I have become so used to him....for the past two years and more, Samuel has become an indispensable part of me...Ha!! Lord...help me. Just help me Lord she repeated as got up to tidy up things for the journey to Shiloh...she kept packing in things for Samuel. 

She paused and thought to herself...I don't think Prophet Eli has a wife, I don't see female workers at the temple...How can a man care for a child successfully alone? Prophet Eli's children are not even female 😒🤔. Maybe I should wait till he is a bit more matured. She kept pondering to herself. 

Hannah!!! She called out for herself and quickly discarded the thought of procrastination. She said : my goal is not my own happiness but to fulfill the promise I made to the Lord. Thank you Lord: It's in the record that I am a mother of a Living and complete Son...the stigma of bareness have been wiped out...

To Shiloh we go: she lifted up her toddler...you may not understand what am about to do, but it is for our greatest good: I made a vow to have you and to keep you the vow must be fufilled. 

The Lord looked down from heaven and blessed Hannah with five more children. Male and female children. 1Sam 2:5b.

When you make a vow to God: fufilling it is for your own benefit and not God's. Learn from Mama Hannah, leave that one and own five, seven, if not more. This is just in line with the creator of the universe Himself ...He gave his only begotten son to gain the world...make sure you keep your vows.

It must have been heart 💓 wrenching for Hannah to give up her only child, when he was but a toddler. However her goal is not about her happiness or comfort but to fufill the promise she made to the Lord. 

She is a very good model of someone who is willing to completely fufill her vow , no matter how difficult. As Christians, Hannah's commitment and devotion are worthy of our attention and most especially emulation.

Thanks for reading.

Olamiju Olajumoke