Sarah's Daughters

As if it might be the title to a great song with an interesting music video, I was driving home from Reno one night this week and reminded -- ladies, we are Sarah's daughters.

Sarah is one of my favorite women in the Bible. For over a decade, God promised her a son, a child she could hold and love but she waited and waited and nothing happened. Her promise of motherhood was challenged by the reality that she was a barren woman. The moral of the story for me is in the face of challenging circumstances, God still breaks through. Years passed and still there was no baby. I'm sure she felt shame, disappointment, bitterness. I think she even blamed God. Who wouldn't? Who hasn't?

What I find interesting is that from Sarah's life of fears, a legacy of faith was born. In the end, "Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word," (Hebrews 11:11 AMP). In the end her faith won out.

In the face of circumstantial evidence, she let the evidence of His trustworthy nature pile up right next to it. And her heart had to learn to trust God's timing. Sarah's faith won her the honor of being one of the only women in the Bible to exemplify true faith in Hebrews 11. You and I are actually considered Sarah's daughters when we don't allow things to terrify us, when we don't give way to hysterical fears or let anxieties unnerve us. (1Peter 3:6 AMP). I wonder if her heart finally came to a place after being disappointed where she looked her fears in the eye and stared it down. I wonder if she just found a way to say "No more!" When you and I can do that, we have inherited Sarah's legacy of faith.

As a woman still learning to be a Christ-follower after all these years, being called a daughter of Sarah has a lot of meaning to me. Sarah's life is a great reminder that God works with our imperfections. It's also encouraging to see He doesn't promise a perfect life. Sarah's heart got sick when the thing she hoped for, the thing God promised, seemed to be a fleeting dream. Her and her husband were promised a child but weeks turned into months and months turned into years and Sarah finally took things into her own hands. She rationalized and reasoned away God's promise. Even though Sarah and Abraham made a mess of things, God didn't give up. I find that remarkable. He truly is the most forgiving and loving God.

How many 90 year old women do you know who get pregnant and live to tell about it? Um, yeah. That takes a lot of trust so I doubt I would have done anything different if I were in her shoes. I'm sure those nine months were long and mysterious, full of joy, doubt and perhaps a bit of sorrow for not trusting God in the beginning. I wonder what went through her mind when she delivered her son. Sarah was very human and the interesting and encouraging thing I find from her story is that she tried to do things her own way at first. But now the thing that was always going to be given to her was taking place. Her fears were quieted by the overwhelming evidence that God keeps His word.

I thank God for the women in my life today who are examples of Sarah's daugthers. I've been fortunate to be raised by a strong and compassionate mother; I enjoy the friendship of two very unique and beautiful sisters. I'm surrounded by beautiful women friends who have overcome some incredible challenges in their single lives, marriages, families and just plain living life.

As I drove home thinking about how fortunate I am to know so many of Sarah's daughters, I was also thankful for Sarah's story. I get inspired by real women who choose to fully embrace the challenges and victories of life. This generation needs to know that Sarah's daughters are women of strength and character, not perfect by any means but learning to trust and believe together for our families and our lives. Thank you for being a woman in my life who I've seen overcome, who is faithful in the best way you know how to serve the Lord, to serve in a community of other believers and to live life to it's fullest. Thank you for being Sarah's daughter.

PS - One thing I learned and thought was interesting is that Sarah's name was first Sarai which means noble woman. Later God changed her name to Sarah which means princess. =) We grew up learning the Disney princess stories. Interesting that as a woman of faith, as a daughter of Sarah, you're also God's princess. :) Just a thought.