Introduction:

     It takes someone special to be a mother. ***A writer to Christian Reader Magazine said “My friend, Edna, is a missionary in Sierra Leone, West Africa. When she first arrived there, she was fascinated to see people wearing American T-shirts even when they didn't know what the words meant. Her biggest laugh came the day she saw a man wearing a pink shirt with an arrow pointing to his tummy with the words: "Baby on board." Not everyone can be a mother. It takes someone special.

 Seen on a church sign:

   Another writer to the same magazine said “If evolution is true, how come mothers still have only two hands? “

It takes someone special to be a mother.

                In this passage we get a three dimensional view of motherhood. This 3-d view consists of devotion, dedication, and discipline.

I. When we get a 3-D Glimpse of Mamma, a Mothers Devotion is in View

A)     To God

- Hanna’s Prayer – Notice that she prays from her heart.  She has utter dependence and trust in God.

 - Susanna Wesley with 15 children – Her apron over her head

B)     To Her Children

1 Samuel 2:19
19And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

A Mother’s devotion to her children does not end when they leave home. A mother was concerned about her only son going off to college. She wrote the following letter to the college president:

   "Dear Sir: My son has been accepted for admission to your college and soon he will be leaving me. I am writing to ask that you give your personal attention to the selection of his roommate. I want to be sure that his roommate is not the kind of person who uses foul language, or tells off-color jokes, smokes, drinks, or chases after girls. I hope you will understand why I am appealing to you directly. You see, this is the first time my son will be away from home, except for his three years in the Marine Corps."

Unknown Source: I finally found a Mother's Day card that expressed my feelings for my mother in real terms. It said, "Now that we have a mature, adult relationship, there's something I'd like to tell you. You're still the first person I think of when I fall down and go boom!"

II.     When we get a 3-D Glimpse of Mamma, a Mothers Dedication is in View

C)      Dedicating herself  to God

Hanna’s Dedication – Before a mother can truly dedicate her children to God, she must dedicate herself. She was God’s maid servant. (Like Mary)

D)    Dedicating her Children to God

1 Samuel 1:27 through 1 Samuel 1:28
27“For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28“So I have also £dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.

Kevin Leman, in The Birth Order Book, says  “Firstborns and only children may think, I count in life only if I'm perfect, if I win, and if I dominate. Middle children think, I count only when I avoid conflict. Youngest children think, I count only when I'm getting attention. All are lies. The truth is, we count only if we know God.”

A 3-d mother knows that, so she dedicates her children to God, through the power of her own dedication.

III. When we get a 3-D Glimpse of Mamma, a Mothers Discipline is in View*

The sheriff's office in a Texas city once distributed a list of rules titled "How to Raise a Juvenile Delinquent in Your Own Family":

   Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. This will insure his believing that the world owes him a living.

   Pick up everything he leaves lying around. This will teach him he can always throw off responsibility on others.

   Take his part against neighbors, teachers, policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child. He is a "free spirit" and never wrong.

   Finally, prepare yourself for a life of grief. You're going to have it.

A)      Teaching

One parent heard eight-year-old son, Noah, discussing parent problems with his little friend. Of course, they had a lot of complaints. Dustin was overheard grumbling, "First they teach you to talk, then they teach you to walk, and as soon as you do it, it's 'Sit down and shut up!'"

Proverbs 1:8
8           Hear, my son, your father’s instruction         

            And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

Samuel is contrasted with the son’s of Eli in this book. Eli’s son’s were rebellious. Samuel must have  learned something from Hanna before she weaned him. Her life must have affected him deeply.

B)      Correcting

Hanna had to wean Samuel.

A mother cow trying to wean her calf has to be pretty harsh at times.  It is sometimes necessary to be harsh to get a point across.

Proverbs 29:15
15          The rod and reproof give wisdom,

But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

It has been said that “If a growing object is both fresh and spoiled at the same time, the chances are it's a child.”

A 3-d mamma knows the need of correction.

Conclusion:

John Todd was born in Rutledge, Vermont, into a family of several children. They later moved to the village of Killingsworth back in the early 1800s. And there, at a very young age, both John's parents died. The relatives wondered what they would do with so many children, how they could parcel them out to other friends and relatives. One dear and loving aunt said she would take little John. The aunt sent a horse and a slave to get John, who was only six at the time. The slave, Caesar, came and put the little boy on the back of the horse. On the way back an endearing conversation took place:

   John: Will she be there?

   Caesar: Oh, yes, she'll be there waiting up for you.

   John: Will I like living with her?

   Caesar: My son, you fall into good hands.

   John: Will she love me?

   Caesar: Ah, she has a big heart.

   John: Will I have my own room? Will she let me have a puppy?

   Caesar: She's got everything all set, son. I think she has some surprises, too.

   John: Do you think she'll go to bed before we get there?

   Caesar: Oh, no! She'll be sure to wait up for you. You'll see when we get out of these woods. You'll see her candle shining in the window.

   When they got to the clearing, sure enough, there was a candle in the window and she was standing in the doorway. She reached down, kissed him, and said "Welcome home!" She fed him supper, took him to his room, and waited until he fell asleep. John Todd grew up to be a great minister of the gospel. But it was there at his aunt's, his new mother, that he grew up. It was always a place of enchantment because of his aunt. It awed him that she had given him a second home. She had become a second mother to him. Years later, long after he had moved away, his aunt wrote to tell him of her impending death. Her health was failing and she wondered what was to become of her. This is what John Todd wrote her:

 "My Dear Aunt,

   Years ago I left a house of death not knowing where I was to go, whether anyone cared, whether it was the end of me. The ride was long but the slave encouraged me. Finally, he pointed out your candle to me, and there we were in the yard and you embraced me and took me by the hand into my own room that you had made up. After all these years I still can't believe it--how you did all that for me! I was expected; I felt safe in that room--so welcomed. It was my room.

   Now it's your turn to go, and as one who has tried it out, I'm writing to let you know that Someone is waiting up. Your room is all ready, the light is on, the door is open, and as you ride into the yard--don't worry, Auntie. You're expected! I know. I once saw God standing in your doorway--long ago!"

Thank God for mothers who give us a vision of God.