“Place your husband in Abraham’s place and yourself in Sarah’s, especially in the book of Hebrews where it talks about their great faith.”
I looked at my spiritual director, a devout priest, trying to hide the aversion to comparing myself to Abraham’s wife, Sarah. She had laughed when she heard the promise from God of bearing a child in her old age (see Genesis 18:12).
Then I realized that I, too, have my doubts, hidden in the depths of my soul.
Would God really keep His promise? Was I desiring the right thing for me and my family? Was I praying in the right way? Would He overcome my complete unworthiness and give His blessing?
I took this to prayer, and I began to sympathize with Sarah. She had been uprooted from her home to follow Abraham on his journeys for years. And all of this without being able to have a child—an heir to what was supposed to become a race as plentiful as the stars in the sky. The years went by, and she continued to suffer in her childlessness until all hope of ever bearing a child seemed past.
But "God made the promise to Abraham . . . . I will indeed bless you and multiply you. And so, after patient waiting, he obtained the promise" (Hebrews 6:13-15). And Sarah gave birth to her son.
Where are you now, sister? Have you obtained the promise of what you have hoped for? Or are you still waiting? For a better job? For healing in a relationship? For a husband?
As I write this, I wonder, in January will I have given up on the hope of another healthy pregnancy after several years of chronic illness? Or will I be joyfully expecting a birth?
Whatever your call, God wants to bless and multiply you, be it through spiritual gifts, work accomplishments, or physical progeny.
And all of this waiting is ultimately for our final end, that which we hope for above all else. Let us hold fast to the hope that lies before us.
Let us hold fast to the hope that lies before us. // @susannacspencerClick to tweet
Pray this Act of Hope prayer today.
Susanna Spencer holds a master's in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the Content and Theological Editor for Blessed is She. She is a freelance writer, editor, and speaker living with her philosopher husband and four kids in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology, attending beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious food, and casually following baseball. She is the author of the Gospel Studies including Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew; narrator for Found: Advent With the Good Shepherd and Rescued: Lent With the Lamb of God; a contributing author to our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up; and Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.
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