Above is my more complete study of Joseph contemplating what's next for him and for Mary. I'm not sure we allow ourselves to consider how much this was all a great dilemma for Joseph --just before his dream revelation. My picture shows him with a wedding band like we would use, though they probably would not have had the same sort of thing. But to convey the point of the dilemma and struggle for us 21st century folk I have Joseph holding the ring on his index finger as if contemplating what might be next --like you would spin a ring or flip it between fingers. In my image he fell asleep churning and working through his options, for as our scripture indicates, he had determined to put Mary away --to divorce her.

Perhaps Joseph had encouragement from a well meaning friend or just operated from his understanding of the law and his rights and what he could or could not do. Probably he was greatly disappointed and could only think the worse! So Joseph fell to sleep with one head and woke up with another! It's fascinating what a night's sleep can do --and even a 15 minute power nap to reboot! Sometimes in that luminous twilight between conscious and unconscious thoughts an answer or suggestion, a little or great idea comes to us --clear as a bell.

My wife said that the angel representation is of a Tinkerbell angel size. We all have visual contamination that provokes us with patterns or previous models that are both positive and negative. But I'll actually take that Tinkerbell idea because as you think about it, it's a great name! The fairy's name from Peter Pan was appropriate and this picture with an echo or shadow or illumination of an angel is a tinkering force, too! Gabriel, or whoever this messenger of God was, is one who tinkers with what's inside Joseph's head, which, under the circumstances would have been ringing  like a bell with all kinds of repercussive thoughts. Joseph may have drifted off to sleep sure about his next course of action, or pondering what to do, but he woke up a different man. Thanks be to God!

Since this story is really all about the Christ I will be glad to make the next step and declare that each one of us, in our waking or sleeping, in this very  moment, has the exact same capacity to listen and hear a word from the Lord -- to maybe change your day, your situation, or your life! And certainly then the lives of those around you.  How about that!  Amazing!

--Pastor Jack