See that baby in the manger? I know it's hard to see from the picture, but believe me, He's smiling! And that guy standing in the back - well, that's Joseph! I bet he still can't believe all that has happened. He was just a simple man thrust on the stage of universal proportions! He had a broken heart (his fiance was pregnant, and it wasn't his!), and a dream (that included angels), and then a wife and now a baby! But the baby is just on loan to him - or maybe he is just on loan to the baby. Someone had to teach Jesus to shave, right? Or maybe not, adult Jesus always has a beard. Hmmmm
At any rate, I love the heart of Joseph. So much responsibility and no publicity, just kind of an honorable mention for an honorable man. But I'm thinking that angelic dream must have seemed part nightmare. Think about it: you've decided to leave a woman who is obviously cheating on you. You go to bed resolved to end the relationship and then an angel appears in your dream. Seems like whenever angels appear, they seem to say, "Fear Not!" So they must be something to be afraid of. And when Joseph woke up, he got married. But he waited most for a year for the honeymoon. People are whispering behind his back about what he and Mary did before they got married.
How ironic.
What to know what else is ironic? Merry gave me such a big build up yesterday in this blog. And today is my first ever blog. And all I can come up with is wonder about Joseph's sudden change of heart and self imposed celibacy.
Yep, God is smiling.
Sometimes He smiles with me and often times on me. Today He is smiling at me.
It's ok. I deserve it!
I'm smiling at you too. :o)
ReplyDeleteWe all need to take notes from Joseph and be so selfless when life throws us a change of direction. "Fear not!" Why is that such a difficult thing to remember? I love the verse from Phillippians 4:8-9 "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you." God time and time again has blessed us all in so many things...those are the files we need to pull up when the footing shakes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lory, for a great start to my day...a smile is the best way! -Holly
ReplyDeleteI love the way you write, Lory. It sounds the way you think, I'll bet. I am so glad that God so loved the world...cuz from where I sit we're a mostly unlovable bunch of selfish sinners. God must truly love us to give his only son to us to ridicule & beat & kill so that WE would be saved ... saved for Him. - Marianne
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