Author’s Note – Yep, it’s that time again. Time for another church newsletter submission. Feel free to skip it if it’s not your thing. How would I know if you did, anyway?

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her “You are the God who sees me” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16: 13 NIV)

Of all the women in the Bible, one of the ones I feel most sorry for and most inspired by is Hagar. She was Sarai’s servant and, as such, had a front row seat to all the fertility struggles Sarai and Abram suffered through. As a woman, she must have felt terrible for Sarai, but before she knew it, she was placed right in the middle of a volatile situation when Sarai told Abram to father a child with her. Of course, the ensuing jealousy and pain that came with her pregnancy lead Sarai to mistreat Hagar, and she ran into the desert rather face any further humiliation at the hands of her mistress. In the midst of her deep sorrow, Hagar was visited by an angel, who told her to return to Sarai and Abram: “Go back to your mistress and submit to her…I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” (Genesis 16:9, NIV). Who among us doesn’t want to run from our troubles? It’s easier to hide than to face them, and sometimes it feels as though our troubles are too big to manage, especially when they bring shame upon us. It’s important to remember, though, that even our difficulties and sorrows play a part in God’s plan for us. We may not be able to see the good in our trials, but God will protect us and help us find our way through them. He works to make his presence known within us and when we listen to His voice, we have the courage to face our problems because we know we are not alone.