Prophet Samuel was a force to be reckoned with...He was indeed a reward from God. His mother, Hannah, asked God specifically for a son and promised to give him back to the Lord. God did His part and she did hers...without delay.
She didn't spend too long with him. Shortly after he got into active service, he could (& did) hear God. In fact the Bible records that:
"Samuel grew; the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground."
(1 Sam 3:19 - Amplified).
He must have been one of the most eligible bachelors of his time...Mrs Samuel Elkanah must have been the envy of other ladies...when she was the chosen one.
She may have felt differently after a few years of marriage...seeing how much the ministry ate into her family time. I wonder what she did when her husband was busy. She may have occupied herself with other women's matters - as is expected of Mrs. Pastor...(and that's another day's story).
I can imagine that she hoped that her children will just latch on to their father's ministry. Seems like that's what she expected and that was her undoing - did she think it was hereditary? We must be careful to learn from her.
When our husbands are busy (maybe too busy) with the ministry, we must check and make sure that our children are going down the right path. The time Hannah spent with Samuel was the foundation he needed and that kept him rooted. Unfortunately, he followed in Eli's footsteps - doing the Lord's work and not carrying his family along. This is where Mrs. Samuel Elkanah should have stepped in as a "helpmeet" - possibly going to her mother-in-law for counsel.
It is every Mrs. Pastor's prayer (at least I hope so) that their children follow in their parents' footsteps - doing the will of the Lord and making a difference in lives. The mistake too many of us make is expect that it will just happen...it doesn't just happen. It's not about genes or "dwelling in the house of the Lord". Think about it - being born in a bakery doesn't make a child bread...nor does being born in a hospital make a child a doctor. It all about training - we have to train our children in the way to go and that includes showing them that way.
We must be alert to the fact that if we spend more time in ministry than with them, they would most likely not want to live similar lives. We must step up and ensure there is a ministry-life balance so we do not fail like Mrs Samuel Elkanah.
Remember, just as "behind every successful man is a great woman"* - his wife, mother, sister etc...so is there a woman behind (actually "beside") every unsuccessful man (& father). God forbid that any of us is the latter.
*Author unknown
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