I often think about Joseph, the husband of Mary. There is very little written about him in the gospels. And most of what is written about him is not very comforting nor comfortable. He marries and virgin and then he finds out she is with child. And the child is not his. Then, he is told in his sleep to accept the child as his own. And when the child is due, it happens they are out of town and they could not find decent lodging. So, his son is born in a stable among animals, most unsanitary. Then all sorts of visitors, whom he did not know, stream into their lives to see their newborn son. He must have been confused, bewildered and totally perplexed. He must have died early so that he never saw his son grow up to be crucified. But the son was known in their place as the carpenter’s son.
I to am often confused, bewildered and totally perplexed about life. I resort to prayer to make sense of what is happening to me and in my life. I do not understand why certain things happen but in prayer I eventually come to terms with the events in my life. I pray that I see God’s hand and His presence in everything I do. Sometimes, it is easy. Other times, it is difficult. At night, before, I finally doze off to sleep, I pray to the Lord that He tells me in my sleep and in my dreams I am too busy to notice during my waking hours. And when I wake up in the morning, I offer the new day to the Lord and pray that I be sensitive to His promptings and His presence in me and around me.