HOW TO BECOME A MODEL MOTHER

TEXT- 1 SAMUEL 1:1-28

INTRODUCTION

TODAY IS MOTHER'S DAY.  A DAY WHEN WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT MOTHERS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.

SOME ARE TALL, SOME ARE SHORT.  SOME ARE FAT, AND SOME ARE THIN.  SOME ARE OLD, AND SOME ARE YOUNG.

AND SOME ARE REAL ALLIGATORS.

RECENTLY IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL THIS ARTICLE WAS FOUND.

IF THE PAST IS ANY INDICATION, MOST OF THE ATTENTION THIS WEEKEND WILL BE SHOWERED ON THE SORTS OF MOTHERS WHO RAISE THE SORTS OF CHILDREN WHO CAN GROW UP TO BE PRESIDENT AND ISSUE MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATIONS, AS PRESIDENTS HAVE DONE SINCE 1914, WHEN WOODROW WILSON ISSUED THE FIRST ONE.  BUT ALL THE ATTENTION TO HUMAN MOTHERS GIVES A RATHER NARROW FOCUS TO WHAT IS, AFTER ALL, A WIDE RANGE OF BEINGS.  IT IGNORES, FOR INSTANCE, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MOTHERS WHO JUST HAPPEN TO BE SEVEN FEET LONG, HAVE ARMORED SCALES AND CLAWS, BILLOW LIKE DISCONTENTED COWS AND EAT RACCOONS FOR LUNCH, WHOLE.  THAT'S A PITY.  ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILIANS AS A GROUP ARE BY FAR THE BEST MOTHERS OF ANY OF THE REPTILES, IN TERMS OF PARENTAL CARE.  TO BE SURE, ALLIGATOR MOMS ARE NOT PERFECT.  PERFECT MOMS DON'T EAT THEIR BABIES, AS ALLIGATORS SOMETIMES DO, FOR REASONS SCIENTISTS DON'T UNDERSTAND.  CANNIBALISM HURTS A MOTHER'S IMAGE.

ALLIGATORS ARE NOT THE ONLY MOMS WITH AN IMAGE PROBLEM TODAY HOWEVER.

OVER AND OVER WE HAVE READ IN THE PAPER AND SEEN ON TV HORROR STORIES OF HOW SOME MOTHERS HAVE ABUSED, MISTREATED AND ABANDONED THEIR CHILDREN.

THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE US TO EXAMINE A CLASSIC TEXT ON THE TOPIC OF MOTHERS.

OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN 1 SAMUEL 1:1-28 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "HOW TO BECOME A MODEL MOTHER."

IN THIS PASSAGE WE FIND THE STORY ABOUT A MOTHER NAMED HANNAH AND HOW SHE GAVE AWAY HER SON SAMUEL.

AS WE EXAMINE THIS CHAPTER I WOULD LIKE US TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO FOUR VERSES AND FOUR CHARACTERISTICS IN THE LIFE OF HANNAH THAT WILL HELP YOU BECOME A MODEL MOTHER TODAY.