I watched as he grabbed his Children’s Bible and began to thumb through the pages, looking for the perfect story for bedtime. This was his favorite bedtime book, the one we always had to read just before we turned out the lights. We’d read it so much, he could practically recite most of the favorite stories.
His chubby toddler fingers turned the pages looking for just the right story. He flipped toward the front of the book and land on a story we’d never read before. In fact, it was one I didn’t know very well. The selected story that night was Hannah’s story and the birth of Samuel.
I read him this story of Hannah who prayed desperately for a child. And when she had the much-prayed-for son, she handed him over to God.
I sat there next to my own much-prayed-for son, this child I never expected out of my own journey through infertility, and felt every emotion in Hannah’s story.
Through tears, I felt Hannah’s desperation as she prayed for God to bless her with a child after many years of infertility. Promising God in 1 Samuel 1:11, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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.”
How many times do we make deals with God like this, extravagant promises in our desperation? Yet, how often do we actually follow through with our wild promises when God does answer?
God did bless Hannah with a son and she did the incredible. She kept her promise to God and gave her son over to a life of serving God as a priest. As soon as she’d weaned him, she gave him to the priest Eli to raise in the temple. Samuel couldn’t have been much older than my son when Hannah gave him over to God (and Eli).
As I read her words as she dedicated her son to God, I knew I had to pray these same words over my son and similarly hand him over to God.
Not to hand him over to a priest to raise, but to let go of my motherly control and with my whole heart hand his life over to God. Trust that God has a plan for this child and that whatever may come, God is in control and has this child in His hands.
“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28
Little did I know that night how important this prayer would be for us. How much I needed to hand over this child to God and fully accept that God’s got him in His hands.
We’ve been on quite a journey with this precious boy in the years since. More times than I can count I’ve been in tears, unsure what to do or who to ask for help. Each time, God has gently reminded me of this prayer.
“I’ve got him” are the words I hear whispered to my heart. I remember the prayer and I breathe a little deeper. My shoulders relax and I trust again that God’s got him. And God will lead us through whatever the latest trial brings.
Raising children – boys or girls – is such a challenge and not one to undertake all on our own. We need to lean on God’s help in this task. I’m learning to lean into the trust that He’s got my children and their futures in His hands. I’m learning to go to God first (before friends, Google or Facebook) when I’m facing a dilemma and allow Him to lead me to the next step.
Consider praying these words over your child today. Not just to say the words, but to truly release your grip, open your hands wide, and hand your child fully to God; accepting in your heart that God’s got him.
Prayer
God, I prayed for this child and he’s so dear and precious to me. As his mother, I feel so responsible for his life and raising him to be the man you intend. Yet, I know my human limitations to help him face the unexpected challenges the world will throw at him. So, today, I give him over to You. Fully. You are in charge of his life and his future. You’ve got him. You always have and you always will. I’m here to listen to Your guidance on how to be the best mother I can be and I’m trusting You with his life. No matter what challenges and trials come our way, I want to trust that You have him (and us) in your hands and you’ve got whatever we’re facing. Today, I hand over this child to you for his whole life. You’ve got him. Amen.
[bctt tweet=”Let go of motherly control and remember God’s got your son in His perfect care. #boymom @KathrynPShirey”]
Kathryn Shirey writes about prayer, growing closer to God, and God’s vision for our lives on her blog, Finding Hope and is also the author of the Pray Deep Prayer Journal series. Connect with Kathryn on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
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I love the story of Hannah. So brave.
It’s so easy, almost natural, to hold on tight. To keep a death grip on our children in this mothering job. But that isn’t want God has called us to. Thank you of this reminder. I want to raise boys with my heart and my hands wide open, so that they may be used mightily for His glory.
I marvel at Hannah’s ability to actually hand over her son, the one she prayed so hard for. I’m not sure I could do that,yet God does want us to hand our children over to Him and trust Him with their lives. It’s been freeing and a comfort to fall back on this reminder that “God’s got him” when those big things hit and to remember it’s not my job to solve it all on my own.
As I’m reading this I’m thinking of the hard task of letting go of 7 grandchildren, 1 of whom has already gone to be with Jesus. I keep on entrusting them to the One who loves them even more than I do.
I realize that I don’t have all the answers, and that even if I did, they are not mine to give. It’s their parents responsibility and joy to raise them!
And praying for their parents, too. What an awesome task to raise little ones to love and serve Christ! Thanks for this, Kathryn … and Kaylene!
I’ve found this parenting thing to be so immensely more difficult than I ever imagined! Trusting God for those next steps and knowing He’s walking with us through the tough times is the only way I’ve been able to move forward through some our most difficult times. I only hope I can set a good example of this for my kids so they learn to trust God like this too.
This is so important for me to remember as I tend to worry over my children’s health and safety. My husband is constantly reminding me that they aren’t ours but God’s and He is in control – not me. Such an important lesson in parenting.
Our first tendency in parenting is to worry and try to protect our children. Trusting God with their lives is SO hard. Especially when they’re not healthy or safe. I’ve come back to this prayer time and again as we’ve faced challenges to remind myself that God is in this boy’s life and God will use my boy for His glory. I still have a lot of gray hair from this little guy 🙂 but somehow it helps knowing God’s got him.
Kathryn,
What a beautiful prayer you pray over your son…I am still praying that prayer and my son is 22. It’s easier to let go when you see them walking with the Lord, but as mine has ventured from his relationship with Christ, I have to trust even more that he is God’s child before he was ever mine. I needed this reminder today.
Blessings,
Bev xx
The trust is hard, especially when we can’t see the next chapters in the story. We’re only at the beginning of our journey, yet I’ve come back to this prayer many times to remind myself that this patch of trouble or this diagnosis or this setback is not going to get the best of us – but that God has this boy in His hands. Praying for you and your son and that he finds his way.
Hi Kathryn, I’m your neighbor at Holley’s linkup, and I’m so glad. I have two boys, this couldn’t be more perfect for me.
I stumbled upon this post by complete chance and it was 100% what I needed to read in this moment. Thank you for letting God use you. He spoke directly to me through you. Thank you.
Thank you so much much these comforting words. I said a prayer this morning over my son and when I was finished the Holy Spirit guided me to your page. It’s only confirmation that God got him.
Beautiful. Currently my eldest whom is 21 lives here at home. Currently staring at the raw reality of I m “loving him unto death”. Unable (sense unwilling) to take my promise Land. Place of freedom of addiction because I believe my freedom involves the sacrifice of my son. Asking him to leave my home. Knowing this brings homelessness and the fear I will have to bury my son. This may offend some or may even allow others to know we’re not alone. My reality is. I am firmly grounded, rooted and intimate with my Yahweh. Yet I am grieving this moment. Ty. As this moment had brought clarity, hope and courage to take control and align my “being” with heaven.
I am sure that God placed this right in my Pinterest feed so that I would read it. Trust was my word for 2017 and this far it may very well be my word for 2018.
I know that God wanted me to read this post as a reminder that He has all of our children in His hands. And He has a plan for each of them. Right now I am struggling with our 20 years son and some choices he is making. But God has him and He has a plan for Him and the best thing that I can do for my son is to trust God. Thanks for writing this… even though it was over 2 years ago, God knew exactly when I would need it most!
What a wonderful God we serve that He would bring you these words just when you need them! Thank you for sharing. May you feel the Lord’s presence and assurance as you place your son at His feet daily.
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