Sing Hannah’s Song Through Surrender

“And she said, ‘Oh my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to Him.’”
1 Samuel 1:26-27

When we cling to the promises of God, we can surrender. It’s easy to surrender when we are growing to trust the One we are surrendering to. This is the most profound and amazing part of Hannah’s story. And also often the most missed part. We often see that famous verse by Hannah, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition, which I asked of Him” on baby announcements and crosses on the walls of baby rooms as a declaration of praise for the gift of a child finally given. And while it is not wrong to declare as good and worthy of praise the gifts that God has given us, it is not the full heart behind Hannah’s words here. We can’t forget the words, “So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.”

When my husband and I brought home a son through adoption 15 months after we lost our second daughter, friends and family members were rightfully joyful and full of praise over this gift of another child. I saw people light up when I told the story of my two daughters and son, Sophie and Dasah, and then Jaden. People loved seeing a child in my arms. Yet in those moments, I wanted people to see that though Jaden has been the sweetest gift, the provision of a son has not been the most amazing part of our story. What is truly amazing about my story and yours is that in whatever brokenness God has asked us to walk through, He has given us Himself. This has been the grand theme of my story, how God has revealed His unparalleled worthiness in my life through many tears and much wrestling.

I’m confident as I’ve studied the life of Hannah that should she sit with us today, she would be deeply saddened that the legacy of her words to our generation are simply the declaration of God’s provision of a child. She would be saddened that we have lost sight of the true magnitude of what God did in her life, her greatest praise was not only the gift of her son. Her greatest praise was to even be considered worthy to serve the Giver of her son, the Sovereign King. And we see this in the posture of her heart of surrender. She was faithful to do what she promised to do and willingly gave her son back to the One who had given him to her.

I had and continue to have much to surrender in my own life. In walking through the life and death of my first two daughters I was constantly brought face to face with the question, “Do I trust Him with the life and death of my two daughters? Will I still trust God with the pen of my story? Will I surrender how I thought my life would unfold to His plans for my life? Will I surrender ever having a biological child?”

Elisabeth Elliot says, “One does not surrender a life in an instant, that which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.”[1] It is in the big moments we must surrender, and the daily little ones. I want to live in a daily connection with God, a daily relinquishing of my rights and ways to the One who loves me deeply and knows what is best for my life even when it doesn’t make sense. And when I do this, not just in words but with the posture of my heart, it always leads my heart to worship and freedom.

Lord, this brokenness and pain in my life is not what I thought would enter into the pages of my story, and yet, it is what You have allowed and even have purpose in. That is hard for me to grasp at times. I cling so tightly to what I wish would be in my story at times that I miss what You may have for me in the realities of what You have written into my story. I wish You had not allowed such loss in my life, but I want to surrender to You this part of my story, trusting that You are at work even amidst the great pain and brokenness I am experiencing. Reveal to me the things I have not yet surrendered to You and give me courage and strength to release the grip I have on these areas and surrender control to You. For I want to know you more, I want to follow You more fully and live a life wholly surrendered to You no matter what it costs, knowing You are worthy of my life.

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[1] Elisabeth Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and
Testament of Jim Elliot (Harper Collins, 2009).

Hi! I’m Lindsey. I live in Orlando, Florida with my stud of a husband Kevin. We have 3 incredible children, Sophie and Dasah who now live with Jesus and Jaden who came into our lives through adoption. We have a very energetic golden retriever and love living in the sunshine state. I get to spend my days loving on my son, investing my life in college students here through a non-profit organization we’re a part of and when I have time, writing on my blog about the hope that doesn’t disappoint!

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