A letter from Joseph to his Mother

 

Dear Mom,

We are still in Bethlehem—Mary and I and little Jesus.

There are a lot of things I have not been able to talk to you about but I’m not sure you would have believed me anyway.  I want to share those things with you now and I hope you understand.

Mom, you know I have always loved Mary.  In fact, you and dad use to tease me about her when she was still a young girl.  I remember playing with her and her brothers on our street even though I was older than them.  I remember the dinners we would have together as families.  It was always fun to share times with each other’s families.

Just over a year ago was one of the hardest days in my life.  It was when I was 20 and Mary was about 15 and we were already betrothed and signed the marriage agreement at our engagement.  At the same time, Mary left abruptly to visit her cousin Elizabeth in Judea.  She was gone for three months.  When she got back, people were asking if she was pregnant.

I heard all those rumors and it was hard for me.  So one day I finally asked her, “Mary are you going to have a baby?”  Her brown eyes meet mine and she nodded yes?

I really did not know what to say but I finally muttered, “Who”?

Mom, Mary and I had never acted improperly—even after we were engaged. I did not know what to think. 

Mary in her quiet sweet way said to me, “Joseph, there is no way I can explain. You would not understand. But I want you to know that I have never cared for or loved anyone but you.”  She got up and took my hands into hers and kissed them both and started home.  She must have been dying inside, I know I was.

The rest of that day I stumbled through my chores, it is a wonder I did not hurt myself in the shop.  I was angry and my thoughts whirled around fast in my head. I finally decided the best thing to do was to end the marriage contract with a quiet divorce.  I loved her too much to make a public scene.

I could not talk to you or anyone for that matter.  When I went to bed that night I was very restless.  I kept hearing Mary’s voice in my head, “I never cared for anyone but you”.  I wish I could believe her!

I finally drifted off to sleep and Mom you will not believe what happened. I had a dream and an angel visited me in the dream.  The angel said, “Joseph, do not afraid to marry Mary.  Her pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.  She will have a son and when she does you, Joseph, will name him Jesus, meaning God Saves, because he will save his people from their sins.”  I remember that angel as if it were yesterday.  It was as if the angel held my shoulders with his huge hands and his gaze pierced deep within me.

When I woke up, I thought, “This is the answer”. The angel has given me the reason. I got up dressed quietly so I would not awake you and I went outside for a walk.  I must have walked for miles in the moonlight. Stars pricked the sky with light and there was a warm breeze blowing on my face.

I even sang to the Lord, Mom.  I know yes me singing. I could not contain my joy and I told God I would take Mary and care for her. I told Him I would watch over her and the child and I would always be there for her no matter what anyone said.

As the sun was coming up and I got close to home, I could see you outside and you were surprised to see me, remember? I said, “Mom, sit down there is something I need to tell you.”  You sat down on that big rock and I said, “Mom, I am going to bring Mary home as my wife.  Could you help make a place for her things?”

You were silent for a long time.  Then you said, “You do know what they are saying, don’t you son?”  Your eyes were brimming with tears.  “Yes, Mom, I know”.

Your voice started to rise as you said, “If your father were still alive, he’d have some words like, “I’ll tell you, going about like that before you are married. Disgracing the family and all. You and Mary should be ashamed of yourselves”!

I knew you would never believe me if I’d tried to explain, so I just did not. Unless the angel had spoken to you personally I knew you would not understand and would have laughed at me.

I remember saying, “Mom this is the right thing to do”.  Then I said in a little huff, “When she comes I do not want one word uttered to her about this.  She is your daughter in law and you will respect her.  She’ll need your help to bear the neighbors’ wagging tongues.”

Mom, you did not deserve that and when you got up to walk away, I knew you were angry with me. But when I said, “I need you”. You took my hand, got to your feet, but the fire was gone from your eyes.

“You can count on me Joseph”, you said as you gave me a big hug. I knew you meant it and I never heard another word. A new bride could not have hoped for a better mother in law than you those next few months.

After I left you, I went to Mary’s house. I knocked on the door and her mother came to the door but I could tell she was angry.  She finally loudly said, “It’s Joseph!” almost spitting my name out as she said it.

Mary came to the door and I could tell she had been crying.  She looked afraid.  I took her hand and I said, “Pack your things, Mary.” As gently as I could say it I said, “I’m taking you home to be my wife”.

“Joseph” she said.  She hugged me really tight.  I could see her eyes become brighter with the news.

I told her what I had been planning.  “We’ll go to Rabbi Ben-Ezer’s house this week and have him perform the ceremony”.  Mary was shuddering as she sobbed quietly.

“Mary”, I said.  I could feel myself speaking more boldly, “No matter what anyone says about you, I’m proud you’re going to be my wife.  I’m going to take good care of you, I have promised God that.”

She looked up at me questioning me with her eyes. I said, “Mary I had a dream last night, and the angel told me, I know”.  The fear was gone and she was radiant as we turned away from the house and began to walk up the hill.

Mom, I think her mother must have been listening because she came running out in the yard, “Wait” she called. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.  She said, “I’ll get your Father, we are going to have a wedding”.

So that how it was, Mom.  I will have to share all the amazing things that have happened since we arrived in Bethlehem.  You won’t believe all those things to, but it has been amazing to be part of God’s plan for the world.

I will write again soon.

Love, Joseph

 

 

 

Can you SEE me now?

It seems with my recent cataract surgeries my focus has been on “seeing clearly”.

This past July on a Wednesday afternoon all of a sudden I begin to not see clearly out of my right eye.  I could not imagine what had happen so the next morning I went to the eye doctor and he said, “That cataract is ready to come off”!

I was shocked and said, “What cataract”?  He said he told me when I was there in Feb. but I guess I had “selective hearing” because I don’t remember him saying anything about that!

It took me 3 weeks to get an appointment in Chattanooga and they confirmed that I did have a cataract in my right eye and my left eye!  I told the doctor I could not tell I had one in my left eye, to which she replied, you will notice it more when we get the right eye fixed.  I told her I felt like I fit the description of “blind in one eye and can’t see out of the other!”  She said "pretty much"!

It was another month before I got to have the surgery. The right eye was first and then two weeks the other one would be done. I had cloudy vision during the entire time. It was very frustrating and was tiring also!  Even though I dreaded the surgery, I was ready to see again.

On the afternoon of the surgery, my vision was still blurry because of all the drops plus the swelling of the eye ball.    I was thinking, “This is not a lot better”.  However, the next morning when I got up and turned on the TV, I could not believe how different it was!  I thought “did I get a new TV over night”. The most amazing thing to me was the sharpness of color!  And after I had the second surgery it was even more amazing! The leaves look greener; the rooms in my house look different and at work the lights are brighter.  When I went for my follow up exam I discovered I have 20-20 vision, the astigmatism was removed and I don’t have to wear glasses for driving.  I’ve worn glasses since I was 16 for driving.  I still have to have those pesky reading glasses!

As I have been going through this experience I have thought often of the story in the Bible found in Mark 8:22-26.

“Some people brought a sightless man and begged Jesus to give him a healing touch. Taking him by the hand, he led him out of the village. He put spit in the man’s eyes, laid hands on him, and asked, “Do you see anything?”

^24-26 He looked up. “I see men. They look like walking trees.” So Jesus laid hands on his eyes again. The man looked hard and realized that he had recovered perfect sight; saw everything in bright, twenty-twenty focus.”    The Message

During this time of “not seeing clearly” I have been thinking about what else I am not seeing clearly in my life.   As I read this scripture I begin to think: Do I need a “Second Touch” from Jesus to help me see clearly other things in my life.

As I continued this journey through the eyes of this scripture I focused on not just my physical sight which now had been restored but my entire journey.  In my spiritual journey I begin to examine if things appeared hazy for example: What does the future hold for me? When difficult times come what I am suppose to seeing? When I have more questions about life than answers, what should I be seeing? Have I been being obedient in following and accepting the things God has placed in my life?

I have to admit that sometimes the life journey becomes hazy and I have contributed to that problem because I have been seeing things in my own eyes rather than looking at life from God’s eyes.  When I try to figure things out or try to fix things I think is wrong, I do have hazy vision.  When I stop and ask for the “second touch” then I begin to see things in a different light. Sometimes it is not until time has passed and I look back to realize how things worked out for the best. It took the challenging times to bring clarity and meaning for the journey.

How do we avoid seeing things as “blurry trees” as the man in the scripture saw?  Perhaps we need to have the “second touch”.  We need to say to God, “I’ve let my vision become blurry, please give me the discernment to look beyond myself and see everything through your eyes.

Even when it seems our vision is still blurry, we can have the confidence to step through the haziness and trust our future is secure in God’s hands?

What seems unclear for you at the moment?  Seek God’s wisdom for your journey through His eyes?

What Time Is It?

I find myself asking that question the last couple of weeks because the battery on my watch is dead.  I have a Seiko watch which was a gift, but it is rather expensive to replace the battery.  So I have not had it replaced at this time.

So I find myself looking at my arm to remember that I don’t have a watch on! So the next question is often, “what time is it”!  I have a clock on my computer and my phone, however, I seem to not be at my desk or have my phone when I need to know the time!

We have a 3 year old in our CLC center who has recently been asking “what time is it?”  One of the teachers’s asked him if he had somewhere he needed to be and he said, “yes, what time is it”!  He had a birthday coming up and his grandmother asked him what he wanted her to buy for his birthday.  He replied, “A clock”! I guess it does not matter that he does not know how to tell time! 

The statement “what time is it” also leads me to think literally about things in my journey of life and pause to wonder, “what time is it really”.  Not what time is on the clock, but the time I spend in my journey of life.  What do I give myself to in the “time department?”

Everyone has 24 hours in a day, yet that never seems to be enough to get everything done that needs to be done.  As I stop and reflect on where my time goes, I have to admit some of it is “wasted” on things that are not really important.

When I think of “what time is it” I am reminded of how precious time really is and that using it wisely is an important part of my journey.  There are many books written about time management.  I think my problem is not so much time management but the need to “evaluate” how I spend my time.  There is a difference.

Some things I think are important to work on include:

1.    There is not a need to get caught up in other people’s drama and waste my time on things that in the end does not really affect me.

2.    I do not have to attend every argument that I am invited too.

3.    Learn to recognize that other people’s opinion does not have to become my reality.

4.    The statement “stupidity is wasting your time on people you don’t even care about” is a daily reminder that being involved with people who I do love and care about deserves more time than wasting time on those people.

5.    If I do not take care of myself, then I will not be able to help take care of others.

6.    Learn to determine what is really important and give priority for those things.  Doing this will bring order and satisfaction in one’s journey.

SO WHAT TIME IS IT?

It is not just numbers on a clock, it is the value we place in our journey and how we choose to spend our time.

If just for one day what do you think would be our biggest surprise if we focus on exactly how we spend the hours in the day?

I think it is time to put into practice the six things I have already mentioned. If we do those things, I think we will really see what time it is.

 

 

A Chance Meeting or A Divine Appointment?



 
A Chance Meeting or A Divine Appointment?

 There have been times in my life when I have met someone or have been in an experience that was totally unexpected.  Often that experience leaves a lasting impression for me or introduces me to a new friends and new insight in my life.

I have often said, “What were the chances of that happening”? OR “What a small world to meet someone who (fill in the blank)”.

As I ponder these situations, I begin to discover maybe it might not have been a “chance meeting” it might in fact been a “divine appointment.”

I believe God is awesome and He lives with us each day and guides us if we will only have the discernment to listen.  I believe He is weaving a tapestry of goodness and kindness of which we are a thread to add color and meaning.  He knows the plans He has for my life as I pick and choose where I go each day.  As I make my schedule, He has some inked-in divine appointments for me to play a part.

I find it exciting that He places various people He wants me to show compassion, empathy and encouragement in the circumstances I encounter.  It also reminds me I need to be aware of my circumstances and not be so busy to miss the opportunities God has given me.  I recognize that I need discernment to recognize His divine appointments and not miss out on the blessings he has for me.

So how do I arrive at that discernment? Perhaps I need to let go of myself and simply be all He has created me to be.  I think a good place to start would to be recognizing His love for me and how I am to love others. 

As I ponder this concept I am reminded of some ways that I may do those things:

·       When others are not kind, show kindness

·       When others are impatient, show patience

·       When others are discouraging, encourage

·       When others are selfish, share what I have

·       When others ignore someone, notice them, smile  and say hello

·       When others reject, insult, betray us, show acceptance, love and forgiveness

 We may never know when those simple “divine appointments” come to us the difference it will make in our lives as well as the lives of others.

So as we think of today and what comes our way, let’s pray for the discernment to see those “divine appointments” God may place in our journey.

 


There have been times in my life when I have met someone or have been in an experience that was totally unexpected.  Often that experience leaves a lasting impression for me or introduces me to a new friends and new insight in my life.
 
I have often said, “What were the chances of that happening”? OR “What a small world to meet someone who (fill in the blank)”.

As I ponder these situations, I begin to discover maybe it might not have been a “chance meeting” it might in fact been a “divine appointment.”

I believe God is awesome and He lives with us each day and guides us if we will only have the discernment to listen.  I believe He is weaving a tapestry of goodness and kindness of which we are a thread to add color and meaning.  He knows the plans He has for my life as I pick and choose where I go each day.  As I make my schedule, He has some inked-in divine appointments for me to play a part.

I find it exciting that He places various people He wants me to show compassion, empathy and encouragement in the circumstances I encounter.  It also reminds me I need to be aware of my circumstances and not be so busy to miss the opportunities God has given me.  I recognize that I need discernment to recognize His divine appointments and not miss out on the blessings he has for me.

So how do I arrive at that discernment? Perhaps I need to let go of myself and simply be all He has created me to be.  I think a good place to start would to be recognizing His love for me and how I am to love others. 

As I ponder this concept I am reminded of some ways that I may do those things:

·       When others are not kind, show kindness

·       When others are impatient, show patience

·       When others are discouraging, encourage

·       When others are selfish, share what I have

·       When others ignore someone, notice them, smile  and say hello

·       When others reject, insult, betray us, show acceptance, love and forgiveness

 We may never know when those simple “divine appointments” come to us the difference it will make in our lives as well as the lives of others.
 
So as we think of today and what comes our way, let’s pray for the discernment to see those “divine appointments” God may place in our journey.