Sometimes life just doesn't go along as planned! Imagine that you are Joseph and you are betrothed to Mary. In a Jewish betrothal period there are no sexual relations, but it was a more binding relationship than a modern engagement and it could only be broken by divorce. When Joseph learned that Mary was 'with child through the Holy Spirit' he intended to do just that, divorce her quietly. He would sign the papers and not have her judged publicly and possibly even stoned, because he was a righteous man. God had another plan!
Matthew 1:20-25 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins". All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, "God with us". When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
I want to have faith like Joseph. Life is really hard and sometimes -we think we have it all figured out and bam - something smacks you front on and just takes the wind out of you! Can you even imagine what Joseph's peers thought of him? Can't you just hear the snickering and finger pointing as he walked about the village, "can you believe he is believing this wild story she is telling him!?" "There is no way I would let a woman like that be in my life". I really don't think we can comprehend what life must have been like for the two of them. But I do know what it is like to be judged on appearance. I have done it, in fact I battle against making judgments based on appearance and behaviors, even today. I also have been on the receiving end as well. Even my current choice of job - in direct sales, gets judgment and criticism. "Oh, she's in one of those pyramids" (no, I'm not), "I wonder why she doesn't get a real job" - (it is a real job, I just happen to be self employed and my paycheck depends on my own efforts). When people make decisions about their lives it is hard not to use our set of circumstances as a filter in making assumptions about them. As people looked at Joseph I would guess that many of them just couldn't quite understand a faith so strong and a belief in that word from God through an angel, that their reaction was then criticism and doubt. How often do you do that? You just don't understand the WHY of a decision, so you assume it is a bad one. I have been guilty of that many times in my life.
One of the things I learned, and have practiced as a life coach and team leader in my business, is to understand what the 'why' is that drives people. I work with women ranging in age from early 20's to mid 60's- 37 of them! Some work to provide for their families, others work as a hobby to have 'play' money. There is a different 'why' for each of us, but those differences are what drive us. Though I haven't had a vivid and distinct dream as Joseph did, I do have a strong faith and I turn to God when I make decisions. I pray hard, I pause, listen and I wait. Do I always make the right decision? No, but I also don't give up. There is always something to be learned in every situation.
Today as you go about your day, consider Joseph and his obedience. His willingness to listen to a dream and take the hard road. To look long into the future and be ready to walk the hard road to get there. It may seem impossible, it may mean facing ridicule from peers and even family members, but stay true to the urging inside of you. This also goes along with our advent question of "why Jesus?". For me, it is because I believe in the promise of the Savior. I know what that faith has done for me in my life, so I hold on to the fact and the promise in the future to come. What is your why?
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