Hannah
The Purposeful Poet
- Imaginative
- Organised
- Reserved
- Independent
Hannahs carry their hopes into the things they do, one thoughtful step at a time. Hannah made a plan to bring Samuel to the Lord and kept making him a little robe each year.
An illustrative Big Five pattern. Further out means a stronger tendency; emotional balance varies from person to person.
They think in big pictures, make a plan and see it through, and do their best thinking in quiet.
They can see something that is not there yet, then plan the steps to reach it. Once they have chosen a direction, they often want to give it a fair effort.
Strengths
Hopes into words
They can turn what they believe and hope into something new, like a poem, a song or a prayer. Hannah’s prayer pictured God lifting the poor out of the dust.
They come prepared
They think ahead about what a day will need and bring it. Hannah arrived with everything for the offering, and she made Samuel a new robe every year.
Quiet thinking time
They like to work things out alone before talking about them. That space can help them decide what they want to say.
They know the plan
They decide what is right and tell people plainly. Hannah told her husband her plan for Samuel, and he said, “Do what seems good to you.”
Watch-outs
You may promise more than you have time for
You may mean every yes and still run out of hours. Check your existing commitments before adding another.
You may stop listening once you have decided
Once you have decided, you may stop listening to other views. Ask one person what they think before you settle it.
You may plan alone without updating others
You may work so much out on your own that people feel left out of the plan. Share it while it is still taking shape.
Hannah as a friend
As friends, Hannahs often put thought into their commitments and prefer to mean what they offer. They may enjoy a few close friendships and room to make their own decisions.
Clear requests and time to think can help them choose what they have capacity to give.
What helps them feel close
- Friends who make clear what they are asking them to commit to.
- People who give them time to think before answering.
- Someone who respects a decision once it is made.
In everyday life
Youth group
On a team, they take an ongoing job and keep coming back to it each week. They may say little in a big discussion, then share the idea that moves the group on.
School
Regular time for an assignment and a quiet place may suit their preferences. Breaking the work into small steps can leave room to think without putting off the start.
Faith
God sees them and loves them before any promise is kept, and they can speak honestly to Jesus on every kind of day.
What promise could you plan for and keep, one step at a time?
When her son was born, Hannah named him Samuel and gave the reason: “because I have asked him of the Lord.” She told her husband her own plan: she would stay home until the boy was weaned, then bring him to the Lord.
Elkanah answered, “Do what seems good to you.” She came ready, with three bulls, flour and wine, and each year she made Samuel a little robe.
Her prayer of praise pictures a God who “raises up the poor out of the dust.”