A Holy Stepparent

I know I posted about this last year, but I want to point to it again this year, for all you stepparents.

Did you know that Joseph, husband of Mary, was a stepfather? Think about it - he was!

But this stepfather did not have any petty birth parent to deal with, didn't have to worry about his stepchild resenting him, didn't have to worry about buying his stepchild's love.

No, his stepson was born for loving him. His stepson was born for loving the world. All of us.

His stepson was the Ultimate Son.

How proud Joseph must have been -

and how nerve-wracking! Can you imagine? Stepping in as "father" to this baby...

when this baby had the Heavenly Father as well.

I look up to Joseph, He did not run away from the task.

I don't need an angel to come down to me and tell me that I need to tend to this family of mine. I have had a holy encounter regarding that, however.

During a church service specific to healing, I asked God who He wanted me to serve.

He said to me, "serve the children."

And I thought, what children? In other countries? Do I become a missionary?

But no, He said: "serve your children."

So, in a way, I suppose I am like Joseph.

I was told to serve and love my stepchildren, just as Joseph was told to love and accept Mary as his wife and Jesus as his earthly son.

So the stepparent chain continues...

as old as the world itself...

Holy Parents

Mary: the mother of the Son of God. Songs are written about her; she is looked upon as a Saint in Catholicism. People pray to her, this chosen virgin. I love her, I do. And then I think about her husband.

Joseph: the father of the Son of God. How do we wrap our minds around that? Surely, we cannot forget about Joseph. What a man he must have been.



"And Joseph said, why me? I'm just a simple man of trade." - "A Strange Way to Save the World" by 4Him

I think Joseph was a "chosen one," too. God chose Mary, of course, but He must have chosen Joseph as well. A boy needs a father, a father in the flesh, even the Savior of the world. Jesus was with Joseph for at least twelve years of his life, correct? Learning the trade of carpentry. I'm sure Joseph was a good earthly father for Jesus. "A Strange Way to Save the World" makes me wonder what Joseph really thought about this miracle. Did he feel inferior to God? No, I doubt that. I'm sure his faith was steadfast and true. He must have felt humbled. Can you imagine if you were a sort of "adopted" parent of the Son of God?

And Mary...can you imagine if you were the mother of Jesus? There are two songs that capture Mary's feelings (what we imagine them to be) beautifully:

"Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant
and

"Mary Did You Know" sung here by Clay Aiken

I don't mean for this to sound un-Christian, or like I deify every child, but I think Mary and Joseph's "letting go" of their child, Jesus, is, in a way, akin to all parents letting go of their own children as they make their way into the world. Granted, not every child is the Son of God or destined to make such a mark, but every child is special, in my opinion.

And so I think if parents, especially, watch these videos and listen to the lyrics, they can have a clear understanding of what it must have been like to be Mary and Joseph, respectively.

Bless you.