Life Lessons from Biblical Wives and Parents: Abram and Sarai

Genesis 12:7 And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.

There are times when as parents, we are working not for ourselves but for the future of our children and grandchildren.  We will pass through places now that God has promised to give our children.  As mothers, we are "giving up" a financially paying career in the present in order to invest in the lives of our children so that they can have the most important thing in life- a relationship with Christ. 

Sometimes, we may not see the fulfillment of these promises.  Although God promised Abram that his descendants would be given the land he was presently passing through, he did not get to see the fulfillment of this promise.  However, we know that this promise was fulfilled.  Regardless of what he saw, he had faith that one day God would give the land to his family, and he built an altar to the Lord on the spot that God had spoken to him at.

When I was younger, my mother felt ill. I was 11 years old and we were living in Staten Island at the time.  As I was organizing my shoes in my closet, I felt the Lord speak to my heart.  I went to my mother and told her that I kept feeling in my heart that she would see her children's children.  She looked a bit shocked and then said that she had just been reading Psalm 128: 6 which says, "Indeed may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!"

During our single years when we felt that we were never going to get married, the promise in that verse kept us going (with our convictions, Mom couldn't become a grandmother until after we were married).  When Mom was in the hospital for the last time, that promise gave us hope.  However, when Mom went to be with the Lord two weeks before that promise could be fulfilled, we realized that the promise was like the one given to Abram.  One that would be fulfilled at a later time.  Mom will get to see her children's children, just not here.  This is such a hope for us that one day our children will have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I wonder if, the day that the country of Israel was born, God called Abram over to view through the skies and the heavens the festivities that officially announced the fulfillment of God's promise.

One day, her grandchildren will have the opportunity to ask Jesus into their hearts, and they will get to meet Mama.  I can just imagine Mom's reaction to seeing Addie who she knew was on the way.  I can imagine her wide smile and her enthusiasm as she squeezes Addie's cheeks between her hands and says, "This!  This has to be my Addie!  Didn't I tell you she would look like Brian!"