Matthew 1:18-25

Thoughts: Of course I thought Mary was pretty.  She was slender and graceful, and she had a dimple in her left cheek that flashed when she smiled. But she was more than pretty; she was sweet and kind and thoughtful.  I was very much in love with Mary.
Then the ugly rumors started.  People raised their eyebrows when they looked at me; they shrugged their shoulders; they avoided me.
 Mary came to me and clutched my hands.  “Joseph!  You must believe me!  Yes, I am with child.  But my child is god’s son!  Joseph, I have been chosen – I have been honored – to bear God’s Son.  The angel came to me and told me I had found favor with God, that I was blessed among women.  And I need you, Joseph.  Please believe me.
I held her childish body close, and I did believe her.
Discussion: What would have happened if Joseph had refused to believe the angel of the Lord?
Activity: Like Joseph, let us do as the angel of the Lord bids us.
From Word at Home December 2013