Encouragement
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Elmosolyodik*
Maria, Hannah’s neighbor, hastily approached the water well on the outskirts of her hometown, Ramathaimzophim. There was still much to do before leaving for Shiloh for the annual offerings.
Maria squinted. ‘What is that I am seeing in the mirage? It looks just like Hannah, but more like her statue.’ She mused to herself.
“Hannah, what is so troublesome to you?”
Hannah did not answer Maria. Instead, with a faint smile she acknowledged Maria, got up and walked back to her home, leaving behind her pail of water.
She did not hear Maria call out to her.
There was no space in her heart for a conversation with Maria and, even if she wanted to share her contrite heart, most definitely not at the well where everybody whispered about her.
She was unaware her cheeks were dust streaked. She wept.
Hannah thought of her husband, Elkanah. Her face brightened; he favored her and not the other wife, Peninnah.
Oh! The water! Hannah turned around; she saw Maria some distance behind her with two pails of water. Hannah quickened her steps.
“Maria, is this one mine?” Hannah’s face lit up on the affirmative from Maria.
“Thank you so much.”
In silence, they walked back to the village. The thought of being at the Temple, which signified a new opportunity, caused the corners of her mouth to turn up. She envisioned herself making supplication to the Lord.
At the appointed time Elkanah and his family, including Peninnah’s sons and daughters left for the Temple of Yahweh in Shiloh.
Hannah received only one portion as offering, as was custom to a married woman who had no children.
At the table, with concern for Hannah, Elkanah asked ‘Hannah, you are not eating, why are you so sad? Why, am I not more to you than ten sons?’
Hannah rose from the table and took her stand before Yahweh. As she prayed, the weight on her heart lifted. She made supplication to the Lord, including a vow.
For what seemed to be a long time, not hearing any words from her mouth, but only seeing her lips move, Eli the priest, who was sitting at the gate, misinterpreted her silent prayer as ramblings of a drunken person. As she turned around to leave the Temple, Eli scolded her for drunkenness.
Hannah replied with a thin voice. “No, my lord, I do not take wine nor strong drink. I have been pouring out my soul to Yahweh. All this time I have been speaking from the depth of my grief.”
He then, blessed her. “Go in peace. May the Lord of Israel grant what you have asked of him.”
A few days later, back home in Ramathaimzophim, whilst doing her chores her lips curled upwards. She softly hummed praises to the Lord.
A few weeks later Hannah knew, she was with child, a male child.
Peninnah walked past Hannah and before she could taunt her, noticed her smile. Instinctively she knew her position as the woman who bored Elkanah children, had changed.
______________ .
*‘to break into a smile.’ (Hungarian)
From ‘I Never Knew There Was A Word For It’ by Adam Jacot de Boinod, page 243.
Based on The First Book of Samuel, Chapter 1. The Jerusalem Bible - Reader’s Edition 1968, pages 295 and 296.
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