Stir Like Samson

From today’s reading…

Samson’s father was Manoah. He and his wife were unable to have children until an angel of the Lord spoke to her and told her of the blessing of motherhood that was coming her way.

There are other prominent women in the Bible who were barren at first and entered motherhood later in life:

• Sarah (Sarai), wife of Abraham (Abram) and mother to Isaac. She and Abraham escaped to Egypt during the famine. (Sound familiar?)

• Rebekah, wife of Isaac and mother to the twins Esau and Jacob.

• Rachael, wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin

• Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah and mother to John the Baptist (and cousin of Mary).

So when a child is born to a formerly-barren woman, that child is called to do great things, as Samson did.

I’ll leave his story for later but as we approach the celebration of another special birth let’s take a moment to recognize the miracle of all children from the moment of conception because they are created with the hand of God just like Samson, Isaac, Esau, Jacob, Joseph, Benjamin, John, Jesus, and even you and me.

Knowing you were chosen and have the Spirit of the Lord stirring in you should help you…

Stay the course. Keep the faith. Endure.

Now go sell something.