This Side of Motherhood
I am loving this side of motherhood. “What side?” you ask. The side where you get to relax a little and take an overview of the young adults my two babies have become. Caleb and Hannah…we named them after strong biblical characters in hopes that they would always be reminded of their spiritual heritage.
The Caleb in the book of Joshua proclaimed that he “wanted that mountain”. Caleb and Joshua stood firm in God’s promise when all of the other spies convinced the people that there was no way to be victorious in the battle with the “giants in the land” (Joshua 14:12). I see this same kind of enthusiastic energy and confidence in our 22 year old son, Caleb. When my boy sets his mind to do something, no matter what everyone else thinks, he will work to make it happen. He is not afraid to be his own man despite what the consensus opinions may be. I remember the first time Caleb met Jessica, who is now his sweet wife. He claimed her like the biblical Caleb claimed that mountain! Caleb and Jessica are serving God together through their amazing music! And now they are expecting their first baby boy – Leeland James! I am still taking suggestions of cool, hip g’maw names!
The Hannah in the book of 1 Samuel was the mother of Samuel. Hannah had prayed to God fervently for a child. In her deepest moment of distress and sadness, she “poured out her soul before the LORD.” (I Samuel 1:15). When Samuel was born, she dedicated her most precious gift back into God’s hands. My little Hannah (19 yrs old) has dedicated all of her gifts and talents right back to God too. I have learned so much about what it really means to be a disciple of Christ from this girl. A few weeks ago, she shared the gospel with nine people and they all decided to become Christ-followers! The fruit Hannah is harvesting is all due to the fact that she “pours out her soul before the LORD” just like Hannah of the Bible. She has bible verses and prayer requests written all over her mirrors. She is constantly praying for the lost.
I came across two precious reminders of how quickly Hannah and Caleb have become young adults. I found the envelop containing silky strands of hair from Caleb’s first haircut. A few days before, I found the small pink New Testament our church gave Hannah on her dedication day. Mama had a little come apart upon finding each of these.
On this side of motherhood, I am blessed to see how God is using these two dedicated vessels in His service and I am loving the view. Tim and I remember vividly the Sunday morning when we dedicated ourselves to be the entrusted guardians of these treasures. We certainly made our mistakes along the way, but our intentions were always to lead them in the ways of Jesus. I find myself praying for my children even more now than when they were young. Their generation has the potential of making huge contributions toward the Kingdom work. My prayer is that they make the name of Jesus famous throughout the land!