Yesterday, we talked a little about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She accepted by faith what the angel told her would happen. But, can you imagine the first conversation that she and Joseph had? Praise God, the Lord sent a messenger to Joseph also.

The book of Matthew gives us some of the details. “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25)

Mary KNEW that she was a “good girl”; Joseph had to believe the angel’s message and the word of Mary. It never ceases to amaze me how people can be knit together in their hearts and trust each other even when the situation is too weird for anyone else to understand.

Men who love their families and friends accept more “stuff” from us gals than anyone could ever imagine. I have seen grown men:

• Play “Pretty Princess” with little girls.  (And, I did not take the picture that would have gotten me killed.)
• Accept a naked Barbie from their daughter and carefully dress the doll in an evening gown and high heels.
• Pretend to eat cake at a pretend tea party.
• Play catch over and over and over again.
• Walk a daughter down a church aisle and say “Her mother and I do.”
• Take their sister out to dinner after the “big break up.”
• Quietly put their arms around their wife while she sobs during a “chick flick.”
• Put tissues up to little noses and repeatedly say “blow.”
• Coach a preteen to be “tough” when she wasn’t.

Joseph wasn’t the last guy to have faith when it didn’t make sense. Husbands, dads, brothers, sons, nephews, uncles and friends: we need you; we love you; we adore you.

This Christmas, let’s celebrate the guys. Let’s appreciate all that they are and do and recognize that they are not gals – YAY!

Gentlemen, you rock!!!! Love all y’all!!!