Am I not more to you than sons?

"Her husband Elkanah used to ask her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat? Why do you grieve? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” – 1 Samuel 1:1-8

Hannah has not been blessed with the gift of children from God, and so she mourns and weeps.  But her husband asks an important question, “Am I not more to you than ten sons?” Truly, she has been blessed with the love of her husband, her vocation, her path to sanctification.  Children are a beautiful blessing to be desired and prayed for, but not to the extent that all else is lost.  They are not objects to be gained and possessed, but rather beautiful, priceless gifts from the Lord.  Already she has been blessed with the most priceless gift of all: her husband, who is given to her for her sanctification.