Purpose. We find it in different places and different things. It does not define us.. But it does motivate us to keep going. Motherhood has done that for me. Maybe for you, too. Unlike careers and the pursuit of more, motherhood anchors the soul. From the moment that perfect little person enters your world, you will do everything in your power to love them well. You will help them grow. You will encourage their hearts, fill their spirits, and remind them Whose they are and how much they are loved. You will protect them from what you can. You will teach them kindness by showing it yourself. You will cry with them and you will cry for them. You will laugh with them and marvel at the joy they bring. I try to do these things.

And when the day is done, and we lay our babies down, I pray over them. It is as much a reminder to myself as it is my declaration to God. I say these words.. “God, thank You for all that You have given us. Never let us forget that it is all Yours and not our own. That includes these children. Just like we are Your children, they are Yours. Help us to raise them in a way that is pleasing to You, God. Give us the wisdom and the grace to live our lives as examples to them..”

This is just a version of the prayer we pray often over our boys. Depending on the day and the circumstance, this act of surrender can be the hardest thing we’ll ever do. But we do it. Over and over. And that is motherhood. It is the perfect picture of our posture of surrender. In truth, it shouldn’t just be in motherhood, but our posture to God over EVERY aspect of our lives. Motherhood just happened to open my eyes to it.

I often think of Hannah in the old testament. Her heart was one of surrender. Truly, her heart was a broken one. But, as I’ve noted before, brokenness leads to surrender.

Hannah was a strong woman. It takes strength to surrender. Imagine longing your whole life for a child. Indeed, some of you may have or may still be. It takes strength to surrender the unknown to God. And even more, to surrender the prayers He answers…back to Him. The source from which your miracle comes. But know this: There is no safer place to be than IN the will of God. Hannah bore a son and dedicated him the God who gave him to her. Her purpose was in raising him up on a foundation of Truth. Her purpose was in surrendering Samuel to become a priest. Not just any priest, but the priest who would anoint the first two kings of Israel. She was obedient to surrender. She let her son go to be a voice for Truth…the very Truth she founded before him. Samuel plays a prominent role in the old testament as a leader who does whatever is in God’s heart and mind. All because Hannah answered her purpose with obedience: surrendered.

No matter what walk of life you’re on or what season you’re in, this is a principal that ties unequivocally to God’s purposes for us. Surrender is the very act of answering God’s purpose with obedience. And because of this, our purpose will evolve as our obedience deepens. Much like our changing roles in life…child, daughter, wife, or mother, grandmother or mentor… we mature. God’s intention is that we do the same; spiritually. Stepping into each role with a posture of surrender to whatever He is asking us to do. You never know, you could be raising the voice of Truth for the next generation.

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