The Nativity SceneSample

Think back to when you were a little kid. What did you imagine you would be like when you became the age you are now? What do you imagine your life will be like 5 years from now, 10 years, 25 years? 

Thinking about the future can bring out different emotions for many of us. It can be a scary exercise to think about the future if you are uncertain about what you will do next in life. If you have your heart set on a certain path you want to take it can be exciting to work toward accomplishing your goals. But what if life takes a turn you weren’t expecting? 

That’s the situation Joseph found himself in when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him the news that his fiancée would give birth to a son. It’s highly unlikely Joseph thought that being married to Mary would include the responsibility of raising God’s son as his own. 

If that seems like a lot of responsibility, that’s because it is! But Joseph was a righteous man and even though we don’t really see much more of him in the Scriptures, we see that he joyfully commits to staying engaged to Mary and raising Jesus as his own son. 

While the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth were a surprise to His parents, they were not a surprise to God. In our own lives, there will be things that disrupt our plans. Circumstances will change in ways we don’t anticipate and while they will surprise us, we must remember God is never surprised by our circumstances. 

He has planned everything according to His will for you to walk in it. In the same way, He didn’t choose Mary and Joseph by accident to be the earthly parents of His son. He has chosen to use you even if His plans are not what you expected. 

Reflection Questions:

We often think of Jesus as being a little baby and then a great teacher, but what do you suppose it was like being the parent of Jesus? Do you think it came with a lot of joy?

What is one way God has used surprising circumstances in your life in ways you didn’t expect?