By Deb Ott —–
It’s a couple days after Christmas. Mary and Joseph have just finished a monumental road trip on a donkey with no good rest stops with a nearly-due (and surrounded with major town gossip, but totally ordained by God) pregnant Mary, only to end up with the new husband delivering a son that wasn’t biologically his.
I imagine that this road trip was a turning point in their relationship. They finally had time to talk about Mary’s conversation with an angel, Joseph’s dream where an angel told him the baby was God’s and not from another guy, and what the purpose of his life was to be, even his name – Jesus. They had decided they were in it together, 100%. Mary was told this baby would be given the throne of David and his kingdom would never end. Joseph was told this baby would save his people from their sins. This sounds like royalty by all logical standards. However, their life did not reflect this.
The baby is born in a stable (where animals eat and poop – for real), and there is no one celebrating much except for the lowly shepherds, and the random wise men. No one gave them a palace or a throne or even a parade. BUT Never once do we hear Mary and Joseph grumble about how their expectations are not met. They are faithful IN the moment, WITH each moment…they must have known this was way bigger than just them. I imagine there were a lot of moments that did not look like Mary and Joseph had pictured them…but they were faithful. God didn’t need them to be perfect…just faithful.
