Setting the Stage for the Story!

I recently got to hang out with a friend I haven’t seen in awhile. The conversation was great. There was a lot to catch up on from his new job, to things happening at church, and with our kids & spouses. I love those moments when I get to catch up with a friend I haven’t heard from in a long time. It is great to rekindle a friendship, and also see what God has done in the time I’ve missed.

I would have loved to be Joseph’s friend. Can you imagine our dialogue? Joseph might have said to me, “Hey, Will, we need to go to lunch. I have to tell you something that is super hard to believe.” This would have ended up being a two-part story. At our first lunch, Joseph and I would have talked about what is going on with Mary, during which, by the end of the conversation, he would have decided to divorce her quietly. But then there would have been a second lunch, where he tells me he had a dream that an angel told him Mary’s baby was Jesus. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been for me to believe all this. What kind of human wisdom would I have tried to share?

Our human minds struggle with this story. At times it can feel so unreal and disconnected from our daily life. As our world becomes a reality TV world, it is easier to disconnect with the written words of Scripture. The details in the Bible may not be as specific as we are used to, making it easier to believe the story is not real. Make no mistake; this story was real and true! It did happen.  Imagine if you had been Mary’s friend? What would that have looked like? What would you have said to her over lunch?

As the world tries to distract us with its current reality, we come back to focus on the reason or purpose behind the story. God was shaping the lives of two people to usher in the Savior of the world. Their realities were hard. They were going to face people who thought they were crazy, and yet they had a very clear purpose. It is so important to bring this story back to its purpose.

Today we set the stage for the greatest story ever told. We bring to life the story of Mary and Joseph. We take time to reflect on how God shaped and formed them for His purpose.  We seek out not only what this story means to us, but also learn how Jesus shapes and forms us for a purpose. Mary and Joseph were two people like you and I. They had their own plan for their lives, a plan that was drastically changed in one day. We are so thankful for that! How does the story about the days leading up the birth of Jesus help guide you to think about what is in your story this year? In what ways is Jesus shaping and forming you for what’s next? Mary and Joseph couldn’t see everything that was coming, but they knew Jesus was going to be right there with them, literally!