A Christmas toast to Joseph, foster father to us all

I can’t speak for who packed up the camel, or how carefully anyone mapped the route, or who planned the road trip snacks, but I can tell you that both Mary and Joseph stepped up to the challenge during that fateful journey to Bethlehem.

So, when we celebrate Christmas, I’d like to suggest a toast to Joseph too.

I’ve written before about how Joseph just disappears from the Bible after he and Mary find a tween-aged Jesus preaching in the Temple.

That hardly seems fair. I think Joseph’s role in all of our lives is quite remarkable.

I’ll bet Joseph, patron saint of foster parents, flipped a pancake or two. I imagine he buckled a couple of little sandals, wiped a runny nose, told bedtime stories, worried and prayed.

I’m sure he learned along the way, too, about how to parent such a special child. He likely made some mistakes, but he loved the little baby that showed up in this life, and he accepted the responsibility to raise him. Those are two admirable, life-affirming steps.

I know he taught his son values that transcend time and genealogy like how to build a piece of furniture, a home, a community, and a legacy of mutual respect.

We’re all the beneficiary of those lessons.

Imagine how stressful that first Christmas season was for the little family at its heart!

As we run around preparing for ours in the coming days, let’s pause and say a prayer of gratitude for the unconventional family that started it all.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

I hope your holiday season is filled with love.