How do you handle hurt and disappointment? How do you
respond when life comes up short of your expectations? Joseph must have been
disappointed when Mary turns up pregnant and he was not the father (Luke 1:18).
In the face of this disappointment, Joseph hatches a plan to divorce Mary
“quietly.” One translation of verse 19 reads, he “planned to send her away
secretly.” I recognize this strategy. When disappointment comes my way, I just
wanna move on. Don’t make a fuss. Stuff it “quietly.” Fix the problem and move
on. “Send it away secretly.” Instead, God comes near and invites Joseph to move
toward what he wants to push away. Joseph says yes, and Salvation is born.
Coddling disappointment is never a path toward growth. But neither is ignoring, fixing, or numbing. As I move toward pain and invite God into my hurts, new birth and blessing are possible.
Pastor Steve
Yours for Jesus,
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