Letting Go

The first reading for today is from the book of Samuel, telling how Hannah, Samuel's mother, brought him to Eli, the high priest, at the age of three. Hannah had longed for a child for many years. She promised God that if He gave her a child she would in turn offer him back to God. I can't imagine her heartbreak at bringing her little son to the temple and giving him up.

Terri Mifek in "Living Faith" writes that "When we are faced with letting go of the people and things we cherish most, we have no idea what good might come out of our loss." It is hard to give up that which we love, hard to know what good God might bring out of our pain. In Hannah's case, Samuel would grow to be a great prophet. In our own case, we must trust in the Lord that He does have a plan, and that no sacrifice will go unrewarded.