Weeds in my Garden | Week Three
Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. Genesis 16:1-2
So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. Genesis 16:3-4
Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.” Genesis 16:5-6
Responses to Trauma:
Flight: run, escape
Fight: conflict, self-preservation
Freeze: detach, space out
Fawn: please and appease
** God knows where you are
The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. Genesis 16:7
**God knows who you are
He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” Genesis 16:8
“Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…” Isaiah 49:16
**God knows where you’ve been
He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” Genesis 16:8
The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” Genesis 16:9
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:13
“My experience has shown me that I all too often tend to deny that which lies behind, but as I still believe, that which is denied cannot be healed.” (Brennan Manning, “All is Grace”)
**God knows where you’re going
The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count…You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. Genesis 16:10-11
So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi, for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?” Genesis 16:13