Just A Carpenter

Well, it's that time of year again. You know what I mean. Christmas Time. Hard to believe we are less than 2 weeks away from Christmas morning. Where has the time gone? Wasn't it just summertime 3 days ago. I mean, if it were based on Georgia weather, it would have been. Anyway, it is the time to give gifts and connect with family and friends. Lets go back in time a little to the first Christmas. You have probably heard the story of the first Christmas a hundred times. An angel comes to a young girl and tells her she will give birth to the Son of God. Her and her husband go to Bethlehem and her baby is born in a stable and laid in a cow's breakfast tray. Angels come to shepherds, wise men bring gifts(a few years later) and Jesus is born into the world. Have you ever considered Joseph's side of the story. I mean, come on. A simple carpenter meets a young girl and falls in love. He goes to her father and asks him for her hand. Soon thereafter, they are pledged to be married. Now, like the honest man he is, he has not known his fiancee yet. Then one day, his bride-to-be comes to him and tells him news that should excite him. instead, we read that Joseph is confused. How can this be? She's pregnant? With God's child? There is only one thing I can do. In order to not disgrace her publicly, I would divorce her in secret. I'll just call off the wedding and forget this whole thing. I will take care of this tomorrow. I will just go to sleep. Maybe a better solution will work itself out. "Joseph, Don't be afraid. Take Mary as your wife. This is God's will." An angel appeared to Joseph while he slept and assured him that everything would be ok. So, Joseph took Mary as his wife. Then, you know the rest. Caesar gets all high and mighty and wants to know how many people are under his command. So, he sends out a decree telling everyone to go back to their father's home town. So off to Bethlehem they go and the rest is history. Just a simple carpenter and a simple girl were used by God to bring His son into the world.
So whatever you do in life, don't look down on yourself because you are "just a ...", because God can and will use all of us, if we believe in his plan.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission From God.

*photo credit- pinterest.com