Dreams and Directions

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean." Matthew 2:19-23

Some of us have had a year past where lots of good things happened. Many others had difficulties because of the economy. Some have relationships end suddenly, and have had to move and try to begin over. If not this past year, at least some time in the past we have all had to change direction and find a new dream. When this happens, it feels as if God is far off, or that we are being punished for some failure. We can incriminate ourselves, others and God when our known world collapses and we have to change course. We can feel alone and betrayed, and left by the wayside as the world moves on.

Joseph, had to change directions and path a lot in the early days of his role of father to the God child. Just as he got established in Bethlehem it was time to go to Egypt. Just as things were working out in Egypt, God sends him back. But he can't go home, he has to start over again in Galilee. A place he probably didn't like growing up and said it was the one place he never wanted to find himself. A few dreams and his life changed radically, over and over again. It couldn't have been easy for him. He was just trying to be a good husband and faster.

Today, I want to embrace the reality that God is with us even in the worst moves, the most challenging situations and in places we would rather not be. God may not send each of us angels in dreams, but God does say we are family and that God will take care of us - even send us a new direction and to new places to save our lives. Lif3e isn't easy for many these days. And God promises to be with us in the hardest of times, in our weakest most vulnerable states and when we have lost our way. We will have new dreams and new directions. God is with us and we are cared for as tenderly as a beloved child, even when we feel lost and totally alone. Gos is with us.