If you are married with children, you hopefully can look back on the times of engagement, wedding, honeymoon, first year, and the arrival of children as nothing but blessed times. Even if there were minor struggles, hopefully those were overshadowed by the joy flowing out of you. One couple that probably found it very difficult to enjoy it all in the midst of their hardship was Joseph and Mary, the earthly parents of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Their circumstances were not ideal, to say the very least. From questions of fidelity, to the condemnation from others, to questions about their love for God and His laws, to lack of immediate family support and absolute poverty, their young marriage and birthing plan looked nothing like they had hoped. Despite all of this, the Lord spoke clearly to them through His angels, and Joseph obeyed God and took Mary home as his wife. He did this regardless of the opinions of others, regardless of the damage to his reputation and business, and regardless of not being able to see the full picture just yet. This week at Friendship, we'll look deeper into Joseph's involvement, his preparedness, and his reaction to the news about the Savior coming. It's good news in the big picture, but isn't all roses and sunshine in the small picture. How do we deal with it? Are we ready for Jesus to come again? You don't want to miss this message to which we can all relate.
