Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Hannah

Hannah. A woman well acquainted with waiting. She had the love of her husband. She had a double portion. But, she did not have a child. For her, she could gain the whole world but her heart would still lay in pieces on the ground. To make matters worse, the woman that shared her husband found great pleasure in crushing the shards into fine powder with her annoyingly fruitful womb and surgically sharp tongue. Her poor husband did everything he knew to do to comfort her. He knelt down and carefully gathered the pieces from the dirt. He lifted them up to show her and vainly attempted to fit them back together. All his might, all his skill, all his tenderness, all his love could not mend what the Lord had broken.

God had every ability to open her womb yet He waited. He knew the impact of the little life that would soon sprout within her. He knew the kind of tree He would plant in His house that would usher in a king who would be a shadow of the King to come. The fruit was too precious to let it be plucked by man, sit in a bowl, without being consumed, and rot.

So, He ordained a waiting for Hannah. Not just for her son Samuel but for her soul as well. He knew the best thing for her heart was to come to the end of itself. To reach the point that there was no way she could ever glue the pieces back together. All she could do was let out tear-soaked prayers and throat-tight cries to the only One who could do more than repair a heart but give her a completely new one. He would give her a desire to give up the very thing for which she longed. She would utter a vow to devote her only child to live ever in the service of her God.

And the Lord heard. He remembered Hannah. He boasted in her humility. He lifted her up. And in turn, from a new heart, she worshiped Him. She gave a sacrifice of praise - her only son.

25 comments:

Lore Ferguson said...

Beautiful, Lauren. I love this.

Reese said...

God Bless You. Thank you so much for this post...

Still praying for you all,
Reese

Amanda said...

Beautiful post, Lauren. I am so thankful for the example of Hannah, and I am so grateful to a merciful God who, as He breathed out His holy word, chose to include her story to encourage and admonish the rest of us. Having experienced periods of secondary infertility and multiple pregnancy losses, the mere fact that Hannah's story (and other accounts of infertility) are in the Word reveals that even this matters to the heart of God, when physicians, friends, and society says, "just relax, take a vacation," or worse, "be thankful that you don't/can't have baby number [fill in the blank]." Thank you for this post. I pray your well-written words encourage many to hope in a way they haven't before.

Rebekah Lyon said...

Thank you for the thoughts on Hannah, waiting and our hearts being emptied. So hard. So true. Blessings to you and your family!

Kim Waggoner said...

I can't tell you how much these few paragraphs mean to me today. Thank you. I pray God would do the same with my own season of waiting - give me a new heart.

Unknown said...

Wow, this is beautifully written. And I love this: "He would give her a desire to give up the very thing for which she longed."

If only we were all so willing to embrace that desire. Thank you for writing this. May the Lord bless you and yours!

Laura Jean said...

This was awesome. Thank you.

Anissa Nishira said...

thank you.

Rebecca Roode said...

In my own waiting (or holding pattern). Have been for what seems like a very long time. But I know that God has not forgotten me and that He uses the waiting time for His glory and my good.
Thank you for these words about Hannah today.

Gennean said...

What a beautiful reminder of Hannah's story and faithfulness in waiting on the Lord!

Sam Jones said...

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this. As a woman in this situation, this resonated with my heart so much. Thank you. So blessed to be a part of The Village. So thankful that Godly women as yourself speak to the women in their midst & even farther. Thank you.

Simply Sam said...

This is my favorite story from the old testament! It's near and dear to my heart. Your writing is so descriptive I felt all of her emotions too. Well done!

Alycia Brown said...

Thank you for this. I so want to find meaning in the waiting. I want to wait well.

Elizabeth Ann @ Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box said...

Just saw this from a friend's tweet! Oh how this speaks to my heart! Thank you for your words today! :-) God is good. . .all the time! :-)

Anonymous said...

I have tears in my eyes... I'm not waiting for a child but I am waiting nonetheless

Chantel said...

I loved this. Thank you for writing.

The Heart Of A Woman said...

Thank you so much for this post! This touches my heart on many levels. I have many friends who are dealing with infertility. My husband and I are also experiencing infertility. I have grown closer to Christ through it all. Unfortunately, I have also questioned. I question too much. This post blesses me and I thank you again.

Sara said...

Mrs. Chandler, thanks so much for writing about this. I have been in a time of waiting, and it is a relief to read about the underlying purpose God has at work while we wait. Great writing, and wonderful insight into Hannah's life.

Anonymous said...

Best blogging I have ever read on Hannah's story. I am in a time of waiting and this really spoke to my heart. Thank you.

Taylor said...

This is so timely. Desires, waiting... God has speaking so much on this to me lately... and for the girls in our youth group. He knows the right time. Thank you, Ms. Lauren.

Love,
Taylor

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Lauren, for writing on this. God is bringing my husband and I through a time of waiting for a child + reading this post was exactly what I needed. I have it saved as an open page on my phone + lately have been pulling it up throughout the day as a reminder.

So, thanks for the encouragement + the example of God's Faithfulness!

Finally an Abrigg..... said...

Thanks for this, my friend..miss you.

Jay DePoy said...

Thank you so much, for living the gospel of resurrection Hope! I am so grateful for your family and for the Truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

- Jay DePoy

www.exodusasheville.com

Unknown said...

I have read through your blog and have to say your insights and testimony of walking through brain cancer with complete trust and faith in the Lord is so beautiful and sweet. Your love for your husband is evident, but your greater love and desire for God is even more so. You have encouraged me today!

Mom's Ministry said...

Lauren,

Several of us in our church are following you on your blog. We are planning a Ladies Retreat April 12/13, 2013 and were wondering if you lead out in that way to be a speaker for a Ladies Retreat. If you do, we would love to visit with you.