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Once in a while at Christmastime I catch myself complaining- about little things, inconveniences, mainly. "I don't need this now," I mutter, and wonder, "Why does this have to happen to me? Is God mad at me?" Then my thoughts turn to Mary and Joseph. Face it. Their story doesn't center on sugar cookies and egg nog.

• Joseph was off work for weeks because the government made him travel to a distant town to fill out some stupid registration papers.
• You can bet the Nazareth biddies hounded Mary about her pregnancy. Have you ever been called "slut"?
• Can you imagine taking a four-day donkey ride to Bethlehem at full term? Of course, if Mary didn't want to ride, she could always walk ... or waddle.
• Think about a camping trip with winter winds whistling through your tent. Or do you have a tent?
• How about being in labor in a dirty cattle barn? One whiff was all Mary needed.
• And then, in the middle of the night after a grueling labor, there's a herdsman banging on the door

Why, of all things, did God let His own Son to be born under those conditions? Was God mad at Mary and Joseph? Of course not. Maybe God allowed the stable so we could see His glory backlit amidst life's humbling experiences.

Life does have its downside, its reversals, its annoyances. And where is God when we despair? He was with Mary and Joseph every moment, working out His plan, just as He is with you and me right now.

I guess Christmas reminds us look to beyond our aggravations. God is doing something. You know, if we'll lift our eyes above Bethlehem's hovels for a moment, we might even catch a glimpse of the Christmas star.

Copyright © 2025, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastorjoyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.

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