Last year my son and daughter-in-law excitedly gave us the news that they were pregnant with their second child! We rejoiced with them. A few months later, routine testing revealed the baby likely had a significant heart defect. Through the fall, I prayed for my granddaughter to be born and have no heart issues. I prayed for a miracle just like Hannah (see yesterday’s post).
In our story of Hannah’s desperate struggle to have children in 1st Samuel 1, she has just poured out her soul to the Lord. The priest, Eli, has blessed her, but will that matter? Here’s the rest of the story, as described in 1st Samuel 1, verse 19 to the end of the chapter:
“Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’ When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, ‘After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.’ ‘Do what seems best to you,’ her husband Elkanah told her. ‘Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.’ So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, ‘Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.’ And he worshiped the Lord there.”
And if we jump ahead to chapter 2, verse 11, we read a brief conclusion: “Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.”
The birth of Samuel is really a story about his mom. It’s story of her prolonged pain, her desperate prayer and God’s provision. Not every situation works out like that. God is under no obligation to give us what we want, no matter how much we pour out our soul to him.
After many people prayed for my granddaughter for months, she was born with more heart issues than originally thought. While I was disappointed, I don’t feel negative toward God. We live in a broken world, and thus there will be sickness, accident, pain, and death. We also live in a world with amazing medical advancements, and the doctors have been able to address all of my granddaughter’s needs.
Through my granddaughter’s three month life, we have see many little miracles. We have seen God at work. We have experienced the gift of so many people being the hands and feet of Jesus to our son, daughter-in-law and their family. Our family has seen God’s goodness even in this incredibly difficult situation. We continue to cry out to him regularly, and we continue to be grateful for his care, which is often shown through others caring for us and family. And all of that care is happening while Lily’s medical situation is ongoing.
Hannah’s prayer reminds me of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” It is totally okay, Jesus shows us, to pray for what we want, for rescue from hardship, for provision, for healing, but we are teachable and humble saying, “Lord, here is what I want, but ultimately if what I want is not what you want, they I also want what you want.”
Hannah also reminds us of the influence of godly parents (and grandparents too). Parents and grandparents, no matter what age your kids are, you can have a wonderful impact on your kids by loving them deeply and encouraging them to pursue a life lived according the way of Jesus. We’re going to see more about that next week, as the story moves into Samuel’s childhood.
We have one more post in the story of Hannah’s fertility journey. Tomorrow she gives us a glimpse into her personal thoughts and feelings.
Photo by Olivia Snow on Unsplash
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