Christmas is coming.

When the kids and I took a little road-trip to join KJ preaching revival a few weeks ago, I pulled out Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb CD for the drive.  I know I'm not the only one who enjoys listening to that in preparation for Christmas.  I love the tracing out of God's story of redemption and how true words set to music help you see with your mind's eye and feel how truly amazing and wonderful this story we're a part of is.

I've had different favorites through the years since KJ's brother, Kameron, first introduced us to the album.  (It was on a particularly memorable drive back to Louisville in the dark of night that involved a snow plow.)  Of course my eyes become watery thinking about Mary being pregnant, giving birth in the stable in the cold.  With all the talk of abortion in the news, I realized afresh how much God's choosing to form His Son in the womb of a woman gives dignity and honor to women, pregnancy, and mothering.

But this year I find my eyes watering over Joseph, the shadowy sub-character in the plot and his quiet faithfulness to the unexpected events of a miraculous conception, acting as a mid-wife, living in exile in Egypt to protect this boy, Jesus.  He believed God's word to him, and when I was in college it hit me one day reading Matthew:  Did Joseph choose to keep Mary a virgin in order that the prophecy might be fulfilled that the virgin would give birth to Immanuel?  I guess I assumed that he married her before they traveled to Bethlehem together, and I don't know this, but it seemed like he made that choice in order to honor God's Word. 

Joseph's story reminds me that you don't have to be the main character to play an important role.  Supporting roles need to be fulfilled with faithfulness and courage, and God is glorified in that.