She Made Him a Coat

The view from my desk is irreplaceable. I can see the hills climbing up the valley and across the sky. The creek running beside the quiet road offers a stillness that quiets my soul. The cattle graze along, waiting for a fresh bale of hay that is sure to come.

I purposely situated my desk in our family room upstairs so that during my work hours, I could still be interrupted by my girls. They play together, and sometimes, Eva pretends to be a writer like her mommy, working away at her pretend typewriter and making copies at my desk that disrupt my train of thought. Of course, there are times when I work privately, desperate to get things done, but I remember something my father told his congregation one Sunday morning. “I have a church office and set working hours, but no matter the meeting, if my girls need me, my door is always open to them. Some always have granted access.” I keep that close to my heart. I always want to remember my first assignment.

In 1 Samuel Chapter one, we meet a woman named Hannah. She could not have any children. She prays for a child and vows to give him back to the Lord for all his days. The Lord answers her prayer. She names the baby Samuel.

But that’s not my favorite part. 1 Samuel 2:19 says, “Moreover, his mother would make him a coat year after year when she came to the temple with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.” God blessed her with three sons and two daughters. Yet she always remembered Samuel. He was forever in her heart. She remembers her assignment.

I had to go to work one evening when Eva was just a baby. Chuck left his job that day, telling one of his coworkers he had to get home to babysit. This older gentleman turned and very matter-of-factly stated to him, “No. You are going home to be a father.” Chuck took those words to heart and has owned them to the fullest.

Eli was the temple priest, where Hannah had prayed for her child. He also had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. But Eli was more concerned with the office; than the oath of fatherhood. Eli’s sons were killed in battle because they refused to follow God’s laws (1 Samuel, Chapters two and four).

All three of these young men grew up in the temple and had the same schooling available. However, their discipline was different. Eli ignored his sons when they were heading down rebellious roads. He confronted them but chose to pacify their apostasy. Hannah, however, never forgot the mission. She continued to pour into her son, even from a distance. She made him a coat.

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This time of year, out my window, the trees are bare and lifeless. Their vibrant colors of life have disappeared, leaving behind only an outer encasement of bark – deceiving one to believe their stint is over.

Eva asked me while walking in the middle of winter why everything looked so dead. I told her it wasn’t dead, only sleeping. “See, come look,” I said. I peeled a small branch back against a more vital limb. I showed her the green life veins running through the heart of the branch. “Eva, it is only sleeping for the winter. Come spring, it will awake with many new lively buds.”

Our own lives can look the same at times. Dead. As if what we believe God for will never happen. However, a promise always comes with a purpose. What we believe God for is permanently attached to an assignment He has for us to do. Dreams are not empty desires and wishful thinking linked only to our happiness. They have a purpose. No matter what the dream is!

Hannah always remembered her purpose. Eli did not. So much so that God moved the priestly lineage from Eli to Samuel. God takes the role of parenting seriously. We will pay dearly for a missed assignment.

In the Old Testament, God spoke the world into existence. In the Gospels, God spoke His final word through the living word.

I can remember when Eva was born. I was desperate to stop working evenings. I desired to work half a day and be home taking care of Eva and the house for the remainder of the day. I found a scripture I often quoted while believing in the perfect working hours for my schedule, “A man goes out to his work and his labor until evening.” Psalms 104:23.

God is not obligated beyond His word. It is His word that changes things.

I remember specifically talking to God one afternoon while walking, “I don’t know how You’re going to do it, but I know You will. Even if You have to create a position just for me, I know you will do it.”

John 15:7 says, “If you abide in me and I in you, then you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done for you.” Bible scholars have said this phrase can be translated, “If it isn’t around, I will create it for you.” God’s creative power is always at work on our behalf – even when it looks dead.

A couple of weeks later, I overheard talk about a new supervisor position that had opened up at my current place of employment. They were looking for someone who could work the six facilities part-time, focusing primarily on morning hours. I knew it was mine before I even applied. The following two months were like waiting for Christmas, but the day came when I received an email confirming the job was mine!

I spent five years working for that organization and enjoyed every moment. God not only gave me the hours I needed but the environment, coworkers, and participants that brought much joy to my life.

The day came, however, when we moved away. Small-town America was calling our name. Wide open spaces and stars to count was our target. I received another promotion during our move to the home where we now reside. I became a full-time homemaker and nose wiper. To this promotion, I had also penned a verse under the dream written on my closet wall, wondering when it would finally come true.

No one can create an atmosphere of throw pillows and flowers like a woman. I take my job seriously, not stopping for soap operas or gossip. I don’t have time. You see, I have coats to make. Two little girls are counting on me not to forget the mission.

Not long after we moved, I had to call my previous employer about something. Before we hung up, she said, “By the way, your supervisor position has been dissolved. Management got rid of it after you left.” I couldn’t help but smile, knowing God had created a position just for the years I needed it.

Out for a walk again, this time with Charlotte as well. Eva told her, “Come look! “See, Charlotte; the tree isn’t dead.” She peeled back the bark just as she had seen me do. And there it was. I could hear her explaining to Charlotte that the tree was only sleeping. Green veins of life were deep inside, awaiting their time to bloom.

Hannah understood this principle. She remembered the purpose when she received the promise. “Moreover, his mother would make him a coat year after year…” 1 Samuel 2:19.

It may not look like a podium before thousands or a following of millions, but the care we provide behind the closed doors of our homes will show up as our children grow. I look forward to watching my children wear the training we have “sewn” into them through the years.

No matter what you need, grab hold of God’s creative power and watch it manifest in the natural. Get busy. You have coats to make.

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