There is an ancient story in the Bible that speaks of hurt and hopelessness. This story is timeless as there are many around us who are hurting, suffering, and without hope…yet those around are unaware.
The Old Testament tells about a woman named Hannah in 1 Samuel. Hannah was unable to bear a child. This is a still a heartache for many women today. Especially in Hannah’s day not being able to bear children was a source of shame to not be able to have heirs to pass on property and wealth.
Hannah had a loving husband Elkanah who saw that something was wrong, but was not aware of how deeply she was hurting. Many of those around Hannah were completely unaware of Hannah’s pain.
In chapter one, verse 10 we see, “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.” Even the priest at the temple, Eli, wrongly assumed that Hannah was drunk when she came to pray filled with anguish and helplessness. But God saw Hannah’s pain and answered her prayer for a child.
There are several important lessons for us to hear from this story:
1. There are hurting people we do not see.
It’s not just people who appear sad who allow us to see the hurting. Often those with deep struggles are friends, family, or neighbors who appear happy and normal. Hurt may be unseen by others and often pain is intentionally kept hidden from those around. Sometimes those who look the happiest are hurting the most.
2. God sees and knows our pain.
It is impossible to hide our struggles from God. We must find comfort from knowing that God does not ignore our pain. Not only does God see our hurts, but God cares far more deeply about our pain than anyone.
3. There is help for the present and hope for the future.
We always need to know there is help and hope. God had a hope and a future for Hannah that she could not see. Often it is hard to believe there will be hope for the future. Hannah was childless and had to go through day-to-day activities feeling helpless. But she looked to God, even in her pain, and trusted in His love.
It is critical to know that help is available. It may be that the only way someone you know will come to be aware of your struggle is if you tell another person. Seeley Lake stands out as a community of caring people who will drop what they are doing and give help to others. We live in a small town, but our community is generous, sacrificial and dedicated to caring for the needs of others.
Please reach out to others if you are in need or hurting. It takes courage to reach out and ask for help but this may be the only way those around will know you are struggling. You will quickly find many others who are going through your same struggle. Once you take this first step, then others can surround you with love, support and help.
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