Do the holidays sometimes not go the way you want them to? Are they sometimes disappointing?
Or life itself! Does it sometimes not turn out the way you want it to and have worked so hard for??
I wonder if Joseph felt that way on that first Christmas night.
God had given him charge of His SON – Jesus. And Jesus’ mother, Mary.
It was Joseph’s responsibility to get a very pregnant Mary safely to Bethlehem and find a place for them to stay where she would likely give birth to this special baby – the Son of God!
Imagine his frustration and growing desperation when every place he tried was full. Mary was 9 months pregnant, probably not very comfortable after traveling a long way, and he couldn’t find a place for them.
Finally, they somehow ended up in a place where the animals stayed – a barn or cave. At least it was a shelter, and they had privacy. But really? Was that where his pregnant wife had to sleep and where God’s Son would be born? On the floor of a stable?
Don’t you think he was disappointed that that was the best he could do for the Lord? For this tiny Savior of the world for whom he was responsible??
Here’s the amazing news – God knew ahead of time exactly how this would go and where His Son would be born.
God wasn’t disappointed at all!
He wasn’t unhappy with Joseph. Joseph hadn’t failed.
So they weren’t in a fancy hotel with a cushy bed and room service.
They were exactly where they were supposed to be. In God’s loving hands, with Him providing everything they needed.
When things don’t go the way you want them to, stop and remember – God knew it all ahead of time, He isn’t surprised or disappointed, and He has the perfect plan.
What do we learn from Joseph? Learn to embrace the imperfections of life because that’s where God’s perfection shows up.
-Robin
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