And no one likes to be used.
There's more going on here. We just don't really get it when looking at this story with our modern eyes.
But in their culture, by Sarai choosing Hagar to essentially be Abram's second wife, she elevated her place in the world. She now had signficance. She now was not just a servant. She was going to be the mother of the heir to a vast fortune. It also shows that Sarai must have loved Hagar.
Think what Sarai had to give up to allow this to happen. She had to share the spotlight. She was the very beautiful wife of Abram. Now she was going to be one of two wives to Abram.
Once Hagar is pregnant, she gets an attitude and flings it at Sarai. Sarai complains about this attitude. Abram says do what you want with her so Sarai treats Hagar "harshly."
Hagar flees and God finds her. He asks her where she came from and where was she going to go (she was in the middle of the desert -- we women can really get illogical in our choices).
After she answers God, He calls her on her attitude. He doesn't condemn her but he tells her to go back and "submit" to her mistress Sarai. He tells her to lose the attitude and be respectful of Sarai.
But then God also speaks to her heart's cry of signficance. And He spends a lot more time on this part then the correction part. He tells her HER son (and God recognizes Ishmael as her son, not Sarai's) is going to be a "wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers."
That might not sound like a particularly positive prophecy for your son, but if you were a servant, a nobody, it would give you comfort to know that no one is going to control your son. He will be his own man. He will be unstoppable. He will live the life he wants to live. That would be a very good thing for a servant to hear about her son.
She responds wisely that God is the God who sees her. He sees all of her -- her sin and her dreams and her fears. And God addresses all of them in this chapter. He calls her by name (no one else does). He doesn't give her pity because she's a servant. He tells her to take responsibility for herself and her behavior and do the right thing. And then He gives her a glimpse into her son's future.
What a gift.
God sees you and me too. He sees to the very core of us. He sees things we can't see. He loves us so much. Talk to Him. He's waiting.