Sunday Soaking: Praying Through the Pain

“In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.”
I Samuel 1:10

Hannah wanted desperately to be a mom. Year after year she prayed, waited, and prayed some more. Her grief was great, made even more painful by the constant, cruel provocation of her husband’s second wife. But she kept praying. She kept going back to God and asking. Her prayers testify to her continued hope. And most of all, her continued prayers demonstrate her faith in God.

Hannah chose to pray through the pain.

Waiting to become a mom was painful for Hannah. Today is Mother’s Day … and all these centuries later, women are still hurting because they desperately want to have children. As we enjoy the day, let’s also be sensitive, remembering that for those who long to be moms, have lost their own mother, or have experienced the devastation of losing a child, today is a day to mourn rather than celebrate. If someone you know falls into one of those categories, take a moment to pray them through the pain.

[bctt tweet=”Hug your babies, your teens, and your grown-up kids. Hold them tight and tell them how proud you are of them. And when the days to come bring disappointment or hurt, pray through the pain.”]

But even after becoming a mom, there will be pain. Being a mom is a deep joy, but it’s also hard work and sometimes painful. It’s challenging emotionally, physically, financially, psychologically, and relationally. Our babies try our patience, make us laugh, and spur us on to be our best. They make choices different than we would like, disappoint us, make us cheer, make us cry, make us proud — oblivious all the while to the power they have over us.

In a devotional at one of my baby showers, a wise older woman shared, “You will always love your children more than you love your parents.” That statement first startled and then sobered me. Though I wanted to protest, I knew it was true, and that means our children will never truly understand the depth and breadth of our love for them until they become parents themselves.

So, Mom, enjoy your chocolate and flowers. Relish every sappy word in those beautiful greeting cards. Go out to lunch. Hug your babies, your teens, and your grown-up kids. Hold them tight and tell them how proud you are of them. And when the days to come bring disappointment or hurt, pray through the pain. Intercede for your lovelies. Ask God to allow you to know when to close your mouth and drop to your knees (or as I like to say, to “shut up and pray”).

Pray through the pain. Pray for them and with them. Then, when God provides, consider using the words of Hannah’s Prayer to praise and thank God:

My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God,
I Samuel 2:1-2

Have a blessed Mother’s Day!

In this week’s devotional video, Laura talks about lessons from Genesis 24, as Abraham’s faithful and trusted servant Eliezer is given the critical assignment of finding a wife for Abraham’s beloved son Isaac. What can we take away from this story? Watch below to find out!

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