Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary: three mothers, three kinds of courage

Three women. Three very different pregnancies. One had begged God through tears for years. One was older and had long since stopped expecting news. One was young, unmarried and suddenly at the centre of a story far bigger than herself. Their stories are thousands of years old, yet a pregnant woman today can find something of herself in each of them.

Hannah: the courage to be honest

Hannah's story opens the book of 1 Samuel. She longed for a child, and every year at the festival she faced the sharp comments of another woman in her household. She wept and could not eat. Her husband loved her, but he did not fully understand.

So Hannah went to the temple and poured out her heart. She prayed so intensely, with her lips moving and no sound coming out, that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. She did not hide her pain or tidy up her prayer. Later, holding her son Samuel, she said:

For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: (1 Samuel 1:27)

What Hannah offers you: permission to pray with raw honesty. If you waited a long time for this pregnancy, or if you are carrying grief alongside it, you can bring all of it to God. Hannah's prayer was not polite. It was real, and it was heard.

A gentle note: many faithful women have prayed like Hannah and not received the answer they longed for. Her story is not a formula. It is a picture of a God who welcomes tears.

Elizabeth: the courage to wait quietly

At the start of Luke's Gospel we meet Elizabeth, described as righteous and also as well along in years. She and her husband Zechariah had no children. When she did become pregnant with John, she kept herself hidden for five months. We are not told exactly why. Perhaps she needed time to take it in, to protect something precious, or simply to rest.

What Elizabeth offers you: permission to go slowly. You do not have to announce your pregnancy on anyone else's timetable. You do not have to feel excited on cue. Quiet weeks of pondering, praying and keeping things close can be holy too.

Elizabeth also shows us the gift of being an older mother in Scripture: she is not a side character but a woman of deep faith, full of the Holy Spirit and the first to bless Mary.

Mary: the courage to trust in the unknown

Mary was young, engaged and living in a small town when the angel came. Her pregnancy would bring questions, gossip, a long journey near her due date and a birth far from home. Her first response to the angel was an honest question about how this could possibly happen, and then an extraordinary yes.

Then Mary did something very human. She went to see Elizabeth. One pregnant woman travelled to another, and when they met, Elizabeth's baby leapt and Elizabeth spoke a blessing over Mary:

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. (Luke 1:45)

What Mary offers you: trust does not mean having no questions. Mary asked. She also pondered things in her heart, a phrase Luke uses more than once. And she sought out a wise, older woman who understood. Faith and friendship walked together.

What their stories have in common

• None of them did it alone. Hannah went to the temple, Elizabeth had Zechariah and then Mary, Mary had Elizabeth and Joseph. Who are your people in this pregnancy?
• Each brought her feelings to God. Tears, silence, questions, songs. All of them are allowed.
• Each was seen. In a world that often overlooked women, God noticed each one by name.

Bringing their stories into your week

Try reading one story a day for three days, slowly: Hannah's at the very start of 1 Samuel, then Elizabeth's and Mary's in the first chapter of Luke's Gospel. As you read, ask yourself:

1. Which woman feels most like me right now?
2. What did she do with her fear or longing?
3. What is one small thing I could do this week that she did: pour out my heart, take quiet time, or visit a wise friend?

And as you lean on their example, lean on your care team too. Faithful women in every age have also needed good midwives, so keep your appointments and call about anything that worries you.

A prayer with the mothers of Scripture

God of Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary, you saw them and you see me. Give me Hannah's honesty, Elizabeth's patience and Mary's trust. Surround me with wise women, and help me to carry this child with courage and joy. Amen.