Experiencing the Holy Spirit’s power
How I learned to listen and wait
The Redbud Hyphen is a literary magazine written by women from diverse backgrounds who are part of the Redbud Writers Guild. The following piece is the third essay for our focus on the Holy Spirit. Read more here about our exploration of the themes for 2026, which we will share this year through creative and reflective writing.
The ultrasound technician’s words fell on me like a judge’s sentence.
“I see two,” she said.
At twenty-five years old, this was the first I’d heard that my reproductive system was “special.” As a newlywed who had just begun dreaming about my future family, this news shook me.
That day, I found out I was born with two uteruses, a rare congenital condition. Quickly, I learned my condition carried higher risks of miscarriage and preterm labor.
As fear rose in my throat, I heard the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. Out of nowhere, Jesus’ words filled my mind. While Jesus originally spoke these words about a blind man, I sensed they were also for me.
“[This condition] was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him” (John 9:3 NLT).
Then, a deep sense of calm fell on my body, even as the ultrasound wand rested on my lower belly. I didn’t know how to translate that message into my future, but I knew it was from God. It felt like a singular, unique experience.
Centuries earlier, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, also experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in the midst of infertility issues. Because barrenness was viewed as weakness, she carried a sense of shame, which she called “my disgrace among the people.” Children were associated with God’s favor in Middle Eastern times; no doubt she wrestled with passages like this: “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3 NIV). She may have wondered, as I did: Why has God given this gift to others but not to us? We are doing our best to follow Yahweh.
Indeed, Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah, a priest, were known for their commitment to God’s ways. They observed the Lord’s commandments “blamelessly,” as if they didn’t leave a single decree untouched. They were getting an “A+” when it came to following God, yet Elizabeth wasn’t able to conceive, despite their fervent prayers. And they didn’t have the benefit of doctors, fertility drugs, or ultrasound machines. All they had was their faith and the realities of their bodies.
As an elderly woman, Elizabeth unexpectedly experienced the Holy Spirit’s touch around fertility. After Zechariah found himself face-to-face with an angel, while serving at the temple, Elizabeth became pregnant. But her pregnancy wasn’t the only miracle; as the angel promised, the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth’s unborn baby. Elizabeth’s son would have a life dedicated to God’s service.
Elizabeth wasn’t just touched by the gift of pregnancy. Her experience of becoming John’s mother represented a profound encounter with the Holy Spirit. When a newly pregnant Mary visited, the Spirit gave Elizabeth supernatural insight to recognize her as the mother of the Messiah, before Mary shared the news. Who would imagine that an elderly, formerly barren woman would be the first one to recognize Jesus as Messiah, when His body was tinier than a grain of sand?
My Holy Spirit encounter on the ultrasound table sustained me for several years. It gave me an assurance of God’s presence as I faced a minor related surgery. Later, those words steadied me as we discovered another infertility issue that made the situation even more complex. I learned to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance as we considered which fertility treatments could work with my competing challenges. Moreover, I sensed God’s goodness, regardless of the outcome.
Eventually, through surprising, divinely-inspired circumstances, I conceived our daughter Eliana, whose name means “my God has answered” in Hebrew. I gathered a community who prayed daily for Ellie’s development within my smaller-than-usual womb. Despite our concerns about my high-risk pregnancy, Ellie was born at 39 weeks, with a head of dark curls. Like Elizabeth, we rejoiced and declared God’s kindness.
Sometimes, it’s easy to focus on the outstanding miracles of the Holy Spirit: miraculous pregnancies, a blind man’s healing, and a resurrected body.
But the quieter signs of the Spirit are just as powerful. Because of the Spirit’s touch, Elizabeth shifted from discouragement to joy. The Spirit enabled Elizabeth, an elderly matron, to humbly exalt teenage Mary, even though in Middle Eastern culture, the young typically honored elders, especially someone with the status of a priest’s wife. Elizabeth changed from a shame-filled, disappointed, barren woman to one with divine insight, patient wisdom, and fervent trust in God.
Looking back, I can see how the Spirit changed me. Gradually, I shifted from someone who majored in fear to a woman who trusts God. My perspective shifted from despair to hope that my body could be a vessel for the ‘power of God. Instead of spiraling into loneliness, I practiced listening for the Holy Spirit’s words of comfort.
Luke doesn’t tell us much about Elizabeth after John’s birth. Undoubtedly, the Spirit showed Elizabeth how to raise John to become a courageous, outspoken leader, whose single-minded focus paved the way for Jesus. If she lived to see John’s ministry, she must have worried about his safety and wept when he was arrested and murdered. Along the way, she must have learned that God’s invitation to be John’s mother meant a combination of joy, fear, and heartache. I imagine Elizabeth’s reliance on the Holy Spirit sustained her in those tenuous moments.
In the same way, I’ve cried out to God when teenage Ellie faced severe depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder. I’ve wept when her health issues threatened her life. Yet the Spirit continues to guide and comfort. The Spirit empowers me to care for my daughter as she struggles. The same Spirit who brought Ellie into this world is the one who lovingly surrounds her, just as He surrounded John.
For both Elizabeth and me, the Holy Spirit’s ultimate gift wasn’t our children, although we cherished them. It wasn’t a change in our social status as we took on the role of mothers. The Spirit changed our identities and our perspectives. I learned to listen for the Spirit’s words as a way of life, not just a means to an end. Whether I’m on an ultrasound table, praying about Ellie’s health, or caring for a grieving friend, I’ve learned to lean on the Spirit for a word of comfort. It always comes when I ask, wait, and listen.
Serena Menken writes Evidence of Grace for parents navigating the unexpected journey of raising teens with mental health challenges and neurodiversity. Drawing from her own experience with her daughter, she offers practical wisdom, honest stories, and hope grounded in faith. A senior nonprofit leader and parent advocate, Serena lives in Chicagoland with her husband, three teens, and one very enthusiastic labradoodle. Learn more on her website.
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This is so beautifully woven together, Serena. Thank you for sharing.