...what I learned from Sarah (yes, Abraham's wife).

I don't think poor old Sarah gets the credit she deserves. Sarah, in my opinion, was an extraordinary woman. We can't judge her within the context of today's standards. Actually, I don't think anything in the Bible can be interpreted without taking into consideration the historical frame. 

    Sarah lived at a time when women were merely property. They were given and taken away. They were but instruments to bring forth children. To a point, we could say they were slaves. Yet, in the middle of all that, I repeat, Sarah was an extraordinary woman, an exceptional woman.

    Consider good ol' Abraham. The Bible says he believed, and it was counted as righteousness. Yet, as righteous as he was, like all the others, he was a product of his culture as well. From the Bible narrative, we can tell that Abraham loved Sarah. Yet, when he needed to (to save his own skin), he "gave her to Pharoah", and then again to Abimelech, saying she was his sister--we all know what that means. Sarah went along with it, because really, she had no say in the matter. I would not have been so accomodating.

    In reading this time after time and reflecting on the latest healing that the Lord has allowed me to experience, I came up with three important lessons we can all learn fro our friend, Sarah. Allow me to suggest three scenarios from which to draw some wisdom.

    First of all, Sarah got her name changed (Genesis 17:15). She went from Sarai to Sarah. My Bible commentary says they both mean the same thing: Princess, and the difference is most likely in the dialect, to mark her transition into the new land. Another reference note says that Sarai meant My princes, while Sarah meant Princess of many. Names are important in the Bible, and before anything could happen in her life that had anything to do with the promise of an heir and the fulfillment of God's promise, she needed a new name. The old just wasn't enough. 

    There comes a time in our lives when we have to confront the fact that if we want to go on and live the life God has for us, and fulfill His will and calling, we need to get rid of the old and receive the new, even if the old wasn't necessarily bad. If we want new wine, we have to discard the old skins. We need to move from my princess to princess of many. We have to change our name. Sarah was being called to be the princess of all nations, and her name needed to reflect that. If we are called to fulfill God's calling on our lives, our name has to reflect it. In my case, I had to shed the old skin that had been damaged; my new name became "delivered".

    But it doesn't stop there...

    The name change is only the beginning. The second lesson I learned from Sarah was to laugh. Yes, to laugh. Genesis 18 tells how it went, and verse 12 says that Sarah laughed silently to herself. People always take this as disrespect or disbelief on her part. I beg to differ. I think her laughter was more of a chuckle, like, "Seriously, Lord? C'mon! I knew you had a sense of humor, but...really? Have you taken a look at me lately?" I don't think Sarah was disrespectful or did not believe. Oh, she believed! She had seen what God had done in the past, and she had seen God's deliverance first-hand (remember the other two times when her husband gave her to the other two guys?). I think the little chuckle turned into a "Ok, whatever, do what you want!". I can see her rolling her eyes and throwing her arms up in the air in an attitude of powerless acceptance in the face of the God she feared. It was a little different from Mary's attitude, but still one of acceptance. Both women took the news differently. One thing is to be told at 13 that you are going to have a child; another is to be told at 99. Goodness, I'm 66 and the thought of it makes my skin crawl.

    I learned that throughout our Christian life we need to laugh, have a sense of humor, chuckle at God and with God when He whispers things into our ears. When something happens over which we have no control. When he allows or brings something on our life that we can't understand and all we can say is "Really, really, God? C'mon!". Laughter is a sign of joy, and we need to accept God's direction for our lives with joy and gladness, even if, in our lack of understanding and even a little lack of faith, all we can do is laugh, roll our eyes, throw up our arms, and say, "All right, so be it! I'm sure you know what you're doing."

    The third and most important thing I learned from Sarah was, she had the child. She bore fruit. Even in her old age, she brought forth fruit. In keeping with God's directive, and in spite of the laughter, she accepted His will for her life gladly. 

    Having children was important in biblical times and today, nothing is more important in our Christian walk than to bear fruit. Spiritual fruit. In whatever role we are placed. Whatever God wants to do with us and through us. Wherever He wants to take us and whatever path He wants to put us through. Jesus said, "you can identify them by their fruit" (Matthew 7:16). We are never too old to bear fruit, and wouldn't it be nice to walk around holding our "little Isaac" telling the world about how God made a miracle in our life, whatever that would be?

    So, as we walk in Christ, let's remember Sarah's lessons: Change your name (life transformation), laugh a little (joy), and have a child (bear fruit).

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