Think about Joseph

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Matthew 1:24 NIV

I try to put myself in his shoes
Betrothed to a beautiful damsel
Untouched, untainted, or so he thought.

Just a little more time, a few more days till we can vow to forever
Then my love confronts me with an unbelievable truth
“I’m pregrant” she would say,
and I would do a double take, pause and replay.

My Dove, my pure dove, when? where? how?
Then the most important question ‘who’?!
Anger would rise in my chest, but I’d try to control it,
After all I’m Joseph the upright man, I would handle this carefully
I’d let her explain.

Then she’d go on and blame the Holyspirt,
And say something about seeing an angel,
And I’d stare in disbelief, how could Mary do this to me?
how could she scorn our love so shamelessly and blame the Lord.

I’d leave without a word, hurt and disappointed but with a plan in mind,
My anger giving way to sadness as I realise what can never be,
Mary and I, our story ends here.

But I’m an upright man, I won’t pay her back in her own coin,
Though hurt and disappointed I’d forgive her.
The law would say stone her, but I wouldn’t want her stoned
I love loved her.

So I would resolve, to put her away quietly,
No shame, no disgrace at least not until she starts showing and people start asking questions,
Maybe she’d escape the wrath of the law, I could only hope.

I would close my eyes to the thought of my Mary heavy with a child that isn’t mine,
And my heart would feel heavy all over again,
Then sleep would come, a place to forget, but not tonight.
Because in my dreams I’d see an angel.

An angel of the Lord would inform me that Mary’s baby is actually of God,
and Instruct me to take her as my wife,
And I’d wake up, confused and distressed,
“Why me Lord? You have asked of me a hard thing”.

Now I know that my Mary had spoken the truth,
but it was not my plan to marry a pregnant Mary
I wanted a virgin, I had been betrothed to one.
Sometimes or maybe most times it’s a difficult thing to be “Chosen”.

I’d lie there in my bed and turn it over in my head,
How can I disobey the one I call ‘Lord’,
So I’d take Mary as my wife, I’d obey.
Beacuse i am Joseph and I love and honour my Lord.

I read Mathew 1:24, and I wondered about how willing and obedient I would be, when God’s plan goes in an obtuse angle to mine. Joseph obeyed, it must have been inconvenient but he did. Sometimes God is more concerned about the ‘big picture’ than whatever inconvenince we might feel as He weaves his thread for redemption through eternity. Learn from Joseph, he obeyed.

#JesusRules