Don't Question The Unanswerd

Yesterday's adventure was a park trip. As my son and I swung I couldn't help but notice a gentle looking lady sitting on a bench. As I walked her way her two girls began running around the park with my son. I went up to talk to her and I had no idea what to expect, yet as she began to speak her broken English became a sweet song to my ears. Minutes into our conversation I learned more about this new friend then I could ever imagine possible in a 30 minute conversation. She was a immigrant from Korea, her primary language in the home is Korean, and her husband and her family came here looking for a better life. She explained to me in her home country there were struggles in the family and abuse issues, as well as many things that were hard to escape. Coming over seas she had begun, what felt to her, as a new beginning. She couldn't stop talking what a blessing her children had been to her. And how her main aspiration was to be a great mother. She also told me her children are not her own, and they belong to her God. I agreed knowing that my son also belonged to God, and I have dedicated him to the Lord.

As we went to say our good-byes she mentioned "I am sorry I haven't even asked your name, and your son, what is his name?" Of course I reply, "I am Jessica, and this is Caleb." Her voice perked up with excitement replying "Oh, Caleb, like in the Bible. Well, I am Hannah." as I smiled back at her and I couldn't help but mention "Awe, well you know Hannah is in the Bible too!" She smiled gently and and said "God bless, let's meet next week."


Hannah from a Biblical approach meant “grace” or “favor.” The thing about Hannah was she had great suffering because she was barren (couldn't have babies). Although my new friend was not barren, she too had great suffering in her memories from her life in Korea. We find the Biblical Hannah at the point where there is no human help available, no emotional support, and whose caused this whole thing? God’s. How do we know God allowed this? It says it in the Bible, “The Lord closed her womb" 1 Samuel 1:5. This was God’s fault. There were no second causes. God planned her suffering! Now that’s hard to accept. You see, a lot of us think, “Well, this just sort of slipped by God and he didn’t know it was going to happen,” but God directly planned that Hannah would suffer in this way.

I think every one of us in our lives, if we can look back, or even at the moment, have areas that we have no control over, we feel we have no victory. Why does God bring us to that place? What do we do as long as we can handle it? We handle it! Yet, we never know His power! And we sometimes fail to call on Him. And when is it that we really call on Him? When we’re desperate, isn’t that right? When every other resource has gone and God sometimes allows that. We come to an end of our rope, and you know what we find at the end of our rope? God!

God brought Hannah to this place. Yet through Hannah's plea to God, she in fact was blessed with children, YET IN HIS TIMING, and Samuel being one of them, who grew up and became the greatest prophet in Israel's history and was a Judge over Israel. Let us look at Hannah's plea to God, and allow us to thank God that He allows our suffering sometimes for His glory, and trust we too will be blessed in His timing!

"My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.
No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God." 1 Samuel 2:1-2

THE PAIN YOU ENDURE TODAY, MAY CHANGE A LIFE TOMORROW