Dear Hannah,
Your arms ached to cradle a baby boy,
But your womb was closed, you had no joy,
A void inside that couldn’t be put in words,
Like a wingless sparrow watching the flying birds.
The other woman whom your husband married,
A very fruitful womb, she carried,
And she never you forget it,
With stinging provocations, you were hit.
The stress began to take its toll,
When misery got intense creating a big hole,
You went up to the Tabernacle to worship the Lord,
And you cried out to Him to break that strangling cord,
That had you bound you couldn’t take it anymore,
The pain, the shame, the sorrow that made your heart sore.
Your husband tried to console you,
But that never worked, it didn’t fade your blue,
You did not know what to do,
And the wait became painful, you felt like a shoe.
You knew that God saw the yearning of your heart,
That He held you like a flower and kept you from falling apart,
So you clung to Him, knowing He held your life’s chart,
And He had the power to lighten up even the darkest part.
Thank you Hannah for teaching me to wait,
And not hold onto any provocative bait,
For telling me to cling on to God , and that He does not fail,
The storms may be strong but He holds our sail,
Your story taught me that God answers every prayer,
That He sees us from the inside out, fixes every tear.
Love,
The Waiting Woman
A couple of years back I got to meet a young couple who were childless for almost seven years. I remember Tia (name changed) telling me how much she wanted to experience motherhood. The whole idea of being a mother thrilled her. I could see her hold toddlers with an unexplainable longing in her eyes. Seeing her, even I asked God the reason why He wasn’t blessing them with children. One after the other, they went for several fertility treatments that not only exhausted them physically and emotionally but also financially. Mid 2018, Tia’s husband was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and the doctors told them that they shouldn’t even think of children for the next two years. Everything looked like a blur to both of them. But little did they know that God had other plans—His ways are so mysterious yet great.
Soon after the diagnosis, Tia went for her regular check-up and found that she was five weeks pregnant. Some perfect timing! The gestational period was unpleasant, to say the least, but God carried her through it. For seven months she had to stay away from her husband as he was undergoing radiation therapy. The time when she needed him the most, she couldn’t be with him. But this brought both of them closer to God. Oh, the joy that filled us when we saw them with their baby boy the first time they brought the child to church—it was beautiful. Indeed, God makes all things beautiful in His time. God not only gave them a healthy baby but also ruled out cancer from their lives. And a year after they had their first child, Tia got pregnant with the second—this is how God blesses: pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
I could see a reflection of Hannah’s life in her. Hannah cried out to God for years, her only desire was to cradle a baby. But God is neither too early nor too late; He is just in time.
I have heard many calling out barrenness as the wrath of God or a curse. Not going to argue with anyone who says such things but here is some food for thought—“for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), so, how is it possible that God loves a few more than the others? How does our putdown statement edify others or reflect Christ-like love? Put yourself in Hannah’s shoes. For years, she heard taunts from the ones around her, both family and friends. Imagine the hurt she went through. And yet, she endured and held on to God and He did not let her down. To all the women out there who are desiring a child—make your desire known to God. His Promises are YES and AMEN, and His timing is perfect—neither too early, nor too late.