Judges 12-13

(June 10, 2014)
Manoah and his wife were both, from what we read of them in the scriptures, good people.  Manoah was devout, and his wife was righteous enough to be ministered to by angels.  They prayed for guidance on how to fulfill the Lord’s will, and did so with enough faith that they were able to call upon a second Heavenly visitation.

And yet, their son (whom they tried to raise properly) was Sampson.  The same Sampson who never lived up to his birthright.  The same Sampson who squandered his power in dalliance with Delilah.  The same Sampson who had his eyes destroyed and eventually committed suicide.

Sometimes I think we might be too judgmental of ourselves and others when our children do things we don’t agree with.  After all, righteous parents have unrighteous children from time to time.  We hope and we pray for our children, and we try to give them the best environment we can, but ultimately they have their own agency. I hope that my children, as they grow, use that agency wisely.