Who is Hannah in the Bible?
Hannah is a powerhouse. She is featured in the first chapter of 1st Samuel . Although she was barren, her husband Elkanah loved her very much. Elkanah had another wife who had given him sons and daughters but he still showed favor toward Hannah. He knew she was sad because she couldn’t give him children but he didn’t mind because he thought she was enough. She desperately wanted to have a baby and she cried out to the Lord asking him to remember her servant heart. She had faith and right there she dedicated the son she knew she would have to the Lord. The Lord praised her patience and healed her. She had a son and named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” (1 Samuel 1:20). She rejoiced in song after and praised the Lord because he saw the desires of her heart and out of love for her, healed not only her body but her spirit too.
Who is Hannah to me?
Hannah is a woman of faith. She has a smile that lights up the room and red hair that matches her fiery sense of humor. She is so kind to everyone she meets and I feel so blessed to be on this adventure with a woman like her.
Hannah was diagnosed with a gluten allergy at the age of 6. Her parents started to notice she was complaining of bad stomach aches and sometimes throwing up after eating a meal. Her belly would also swell, proving old men were not the only ones with pot-bellies. Interesting enough, she was also behind on the growth charts for her age. Turns out wheat was to blame for all of this.
So she changed the way she ate, totally canceling out wheat, and felt much better. Today, with so many gluten allergies present, there is a whole isle in Walmart of gluten-free food. But 13 years ago this was not the case. It was hard to cook for and find things that tasted good to a six-year-old. It also didn’t help when her brother shoved delicious gluten-filled foods that he was eating in her face. But as Hannah got older, her options expanded. The stores soon where filled with gluten-free cookies and tortillas. She also stopped craving wheat and basically didn’t remember what it tasted like. In her mind she wasn’t missing out on the blueberry muffin her brother was eating.
Then came the decision to take 9 months of her life to serve in ministry. Even though the Lord told her clearly this is what she was meant to do, she still doubted. But with every doubt the Lord comforted her and gave her confidence. One of the worries she had was how hard it was going to be to eat on the race. She was right in feeling that way because let me tell you, in Guatemala your meal is either fried or fried. But then the Lord showed up in the middle of all her stress. She explained it as an overwhelming peace. She knew then that the Lord was on the move. Her doubts were washed away.
A couple months later, she was in Guatemala. She started to declare that the Lord was working a miracle in her. She knew in her heart what the Lord had for her but she still had fear that her allergy would show up. She stayed safe with beans and rice and gluten-free cereal. One day after eating 3 bowls of gluten-free cereal, (missionary work gives you a pretty big appetite) she felt really nauseous. She said she was so close to throwing up but instead of giving in, she started to pace the room talking to the Lord and asking for the pain to go away. After faithful praying, her stomach settled. A few days later she found out that the cereal she had eaten did in fact contain gluten. But Hannah would not be shaken by this “set-back.”
A couple days later, her team circled around her and prayed healing in Jesus’s name. I asked if she remembers the things they prayed and she said she doesn’t remember the words but she remembers the power in the room. Power that brought her to tears as she could feel God’s presence. But her team didn’t just pray. They ran to the kitchen and came back with a piece of toast smothered in nutella. Hannah was terrified of throwing up but she knew that she had to step out in faith. After eating the whole piece in a couple of bites her team distracted her during the waiting period by playing cards in the living room. She eventually lost track of time and before she knew it, the clock read 2 whole hours later! She had no symptoms of the allergy that had power over her for 13 years! She was healed.
That weekend, she face-timed her family while hiding chicken nuggets in her lap. While they were watching, she sank her teeth into a juicy breaded piece of chicken and said, “Guess what!” Tears and praise ran rampant.
I wish you could have seen the way Hannah’s eyes lit up when she told me her story. It’s almost been a month and a half since she was healed and she is still just as excited as the first day. Every day since, she’s had something with wheat in it and every time it touches her lips she never forgets how good God really is. Her team was in the room when I asked Hannah, “What’s your favorite thing to eat?” They all answered simultaneously saying, “Mac and cheese!” What a room full of love, faith, and power in Jesus.
Her team was also who gave Hannah the idea of getting a tattoo as a remembrance of what God has done in her life. The original idea was a loaf of bread. After her brother gave her a list of everything she had to try, he gave her the idea to do a stalk of wheat instead. It was more artsy but just as meaningful. She got her tattoo last Sunday. What a beautiful symbol of God’s faithfulness.
Hannah asked one thing of me. She asked me to make sure to tell you that she sees this as a reward from God. She said that she took a leap of faith in coming on the Race. Because she didn’t let her fear control her she is seeing the fruit of listening to the father’s voice. When we take a step of faith, he shows up. She knew she was doing the right thing by listening but she didn’t realize the blessings God had in-store for her.
We can try to put into words the all consuming love of our father but every time, those words just don’t seem like enough.
Both Hannahs were rewarded for their unwavering faith. If you’re scared to take that leap, just remember God has something more for you. You may not feel worthy but that’s exactly what the Lord calls you. Sometimes God calls us to endure things to build our faith. Don’t loose hope. He is always watching over you. In Romans 8:18 it reads, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
I’m quite sure both Hannahs would do it all over again just to see God do it again.
