I get wordy. Instagram only gives me 2200 characters and no additional space to share the mental dialogue yet to say. It’s okay though. I’ve learned to speak (and listen) to others. I could talk to my spiritual mom for hours and never grow tired of her wisdom covering the ordinary facets of life. I have spiritual sisters who pray and intercede. And when my moments get the better of me, I always pour out my thoughts and feelings to the Lord in groans, songs, tears and in notebooks scattered all over.
The point: when I need to speak, I’m never limited by characters. That’s why I’m enamored by the many facets of Hannah.
“As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:12-13, 15)
From the depths of her troubled soul, Hannah poured out to God. She handed her inner struggle of an unforgiving culture to Him. God heard the malicious taunts. God watched the condescending leers. God listened to the scathing whispers. He knew people and their choices. Yes, people chose to be cruel, but when Hannah chose to speak, God chose to listen. That’s “truth speak.”
“Truth speak” requires pouring out one to another. It empties us of the toxic lies, yet it fills us with truth and space for wise words to bring healing and hope. I’ve enjoyed the rich deposits of “truth speak” throughout the years. When I struggled with every Mother’s Day without its benefits, a few loving sisters in Christ tended to my deep sobs, my agitated woes and my irritated recounts. They encouraged me to speak out and speak free. So whether harboring an unresolved issue or holding onto a traumatic experience, remaining silent only leaves us psychologically and emotionally barren. Allow your words, every syllable to give birth.
God honored that facet of “truth speak” in Hannah. He not only heard her language, He translated her prayers into a song of praise (1 Samuel 1:20, 22, 26-28; 2:1-10). She acknowledged who heard her cries. She responded sacrificially to His gift. And she rejoiced over the full measure of God’s great renown over the earth.
Our once-barren sister speaks through the pages of our Word and through the silence we’ve experienced at one time or another. She knows our torment because she’s heard it herself and yet, her whispers model a framework that echoed in the words her son, Samuel spoke when God called out to him in 1 Samuel 3:10:
“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel! ” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening”.”
Hannah wasn’t afraid to speak truth to a God who heard her, saw her and cared about her pain. Neither should we. We are His daughters, his sons and His affirming words are here to give your voice life. So when God calls your name, what will you say? I pray it is —
“Speak, for your servant is listening.”
