Raising a Child Not Your Own

Raising a Child Not Your Own
Faithful
December 13, 2020

“Let every heart prepare Him room…”
“O come, o come, Emmanuel…”
“O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for thee…”

The songs of Christmas are filled with phrases that welcome or invite Christ into our lives. The words remind us of the truth that there was no room available for Joseph and Mary as they sought shelter in Bethlehem. Though their need was temporary, the only option offered was one which was more suitable for livestock than people. I imagine this wasn’t exactly what Joseph had in mind when he set out with his very pregnant wife.

Over the past nine months, we’ve come to expect the unexpected in terms of how life unfolds. We’ve learned to adjust on the fly. “Pivoting” has become a new life skill. I think Joseph gets an ‘A’ in pivoting! I mean, imagine a door-to-door angel showing up at your house, informing you that a baby delivery is headed your way, and you get to be his parent! Talk about an adjustment! And it wasn’t just a temporary situation! In the blink of an eye, Joseph has a new assignment, a new calling, a new responsibility.

Join us this Sunday as we continue in our Christmas series, “Faithful.” We’ll consider what it might have been like for Joseph to raise Jesus, a child who wasn’t his own. There’s a lot we can learn from the way Joseph responded to God’s invitation to step up as a step-dad.

Emmanuel – God With Us – has come. Wherever you are, He is there. Will you make room for Him? Let’s welcome and worship Him together.