Belonging.
You can just hear Patsy Cline, can’t you?
Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it’s wet with rain
Just remember ’til you’re home again
You belong to me
When my son was born, I was ill-prepared for how strong my protective instinct would be. I have the distinct memory of taking him to the doctor for his two-week-old check-up in Wisconsin in winter. To get to the car, I had to carry him down five steps covered in newly-formed ice. I was terrified that I would fall and drop him. So, I sat down and scooted, on the seat of my pants, down the five steps – just to be sure he’d be safe.
In my mind, my son “belonged” to me. I was responsible for him, and I wasn’t going to shirk my responsibilities! But, as Hannah reminds me this week in the book of 1 Samuel, he doesn’t “belong” to me now and he never did. By God’s grace, from before he was born, my son belonged to God.
Hannah’s son, Samuel, had an extraordinary mom. She prayed and prayed for him, and she knew he was a gift from God. She understood her gift in and responsibility for raising Samuel and she knew he never belonged to her. Samuel, from before he was born, belonged to God. By God’s grace, God would care for him every moment of every day.
Child of God, God knew you before you were born. God created you out of perfect love. God is with you every moment of every day. By God’s grace, you belong to God now; you always have and you always will. Whatever you are enduring in this moment, hear God’s loving words for you, “You belong to me.”
See you Sunday…
God’s Peace,
Pr. Rachael
