In my journey to become a crisis chaplain, the first lesson I recall being taught was to never minimize someone’s loss. As you gaze though your neighbor’s window, the death of her little poodle or the pink slip included in his last paycheck may appear to you as minor inconveniences, but to those experiencing them, they can be devastating.
What motivated Hannah to desperately beg for a child when, as part of the “deal,” she was so willing to give him away (I Samuel 1)? I know that she was placing him into the hands of the priests and little Samuel would be dedicated to serving the Lord, but Hannah would still be separated from him. It almost seems that she was praying for the experience of bearing a child instead of the joy of having a child to share life with.