7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
One of the great unspoken struggles for a woman is when she wants children but is unable to have them. Today there are expensive, painful and frustrating procedures to be endured to help remedy the situation. Back when this happened to Elizabeth, barrenness was accepted. But acceptance does not always mean satisfaction with the condition. We learn from this record that her husband was concerned enough to be praying for God to intervene while he was on his job. Good thing he didn’t work today in the public school system! Her pain must have been one that permeated their lives. Notice also, that they are both old, beyond the usual years for having children. When she does get pregnant, it is totally unexpected, a recognized miracle. But what proceeded that joyous moment were years of turmoil and struggle, the questioning of self and probably even her womanhood. All her friends were having children, why couldn’t she? All those stares as she gathered with her friends, their children running around, and nursing at the breast. And Elizabeth sits longingly with empty arms. The side conversations about her misfortune when she entered a room, the brief glances and hushed tones all pointing out her pain. She probably didn’t like visiting much because of her emptiness. When she would be at market she would see other women with their children wrapped around them and the emptiness would grow. Each pregnancy and birth announcement brought another reminder of her lack. Soon her husband and friends probably shielded her from those kinds of reports further isolating her from the community. If you know someone who is struggling with their inability to have children, I want to encourage you to draw in close and say nothing. Just be with them, supporting, caring, listening. You can’t take away their pain, but maybe you can bear their burden with them. If you are that women, the Scriptures are filled with miracle stories connected to barren women who had children who filled special places in God’s redemptive plan. Who knows, you might be one of those women!
The Arnold Journey 