I Want To Be Baby Jesus's Daddy

Yesterday, I was helping Paulette from the Mid-cities Pregnancy Center get costumes for a photo shoot for their Christmas card. I can't wait to see it. Little Children dressed in nativity costumes. And not just any little children. Some of these children are special because their moms and dads chose life for them instead of abortion, and some because their moms and dads chose to give them a home through adoption because their birth parents couldn't keep them or didn't want them. Imagine that... Paulette was telling me a precious story about one little boy that asked, "Can I be Baby Jesus's daddy?" I stopped in my tracks and almost cried. Just the word "Daddy" brings a warmness to my heart. Remember the first time you heard your firstborn utter something out that resembled daddy. I wondered if this little boy knew the significance of Baby Jesus having a daddy here on earth. Probably not...but to him it was a special honor and so he was asking to play the part. And it made me think about Joseph.

The Bible tells us that when Joseph realized that Mary's Baby was of God, and that this little child would need an earthly father, happened in a dream. Joseph awoke from his sleep and knew that the Holy Spirit had visited him. Imagine it with me...it was then that he approached Mary and told her that he knew this was God's child, and it would be his honor to be Baby Jesus' Daddy! I believe this was a pivotable point for Mary. She was all alone, growing God's Son in her belly, facing public ridicule, shame for being pregnant before she became Jospeh's wife. And when she came back from Elizabeth's house, Joseph met her and said, "Let's be a family. We'll raise this child together. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. We've heard from God. He chose you, as I chose you to be my bethrothed; and now, I choose to father this child. We'll give this baby a home, a family."

Why did God chose to visit Joseph in a dream. Well, Joseph was busy. He heard the rumors around town...his betrothed was carrying another man's child. She was a disgrace! I'm sure the pressure was enormous for Joseph to do something with this horrible girl who cheated on him! What stress! What shame! You know what I do when I'm stressed and my mind is crazy with questions and fear and doubt? I stay busy. Sometimes I bake. Sometimes I clean. I imagine Joseph logged a lot of hours on that house he was building, building for his wife and HIS children. Oh, I bet he swung the fire out that hammer during those days. So...maybe he was too busy for a day time encounter with the Holy One. Or maybe he was too mad in the waking hours. So...God had to get him asleep so he was still enough to hear the message, the promise that Mary's Baby was from God. A blessing, not a curse. And he needed to be this baby's earthly father, and make a home for this incredible child who would be called Emmanuel, God With Us.

I was telling my Pastor's wife recently, that sometimes, when I go to bed with a problem at work or in a relationship, whatever... that I often wake up knowing exactly what to do. I'm not a genius in my sleep...I believe that God needs me to be still and quiet to speak to me. And since I'm not very good at that in the waking hours, especially when I'm stressed or upset, I believe His still small voice meets me in the subconscious. The Holy Spirit lives in me and I don't think He sleeps...so why can't He catch me in the middle of the night. Sometimes I wake up and know I need to pray for someone. Sometimes I wake up to know that God is calling for me to come and spend time alone with Him to talk about a solution. In sleep...I'm still, just like Joseph was. Thank you God, that You are the God of my day, my night, and my sleep. And that Your still small voice is always at work in me. May I be able to hear and wake to obey...just like Joseph did, when he said yes to the important job of being Baby Jesus's earthly Daddy.