When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. 

Like all of the Israelites, Joseph had been waiting for the Messiah.   He just never expected that he would be the one the Savior would come to! He was just an everyday small-town carpenter.   He probably had no idea what would happen to him if he were to accept this new role.   And yet he embraced God’s will without hesitation.

We often look at saints like Joseph and think we could never be like them.   On one level, this may be true.   Joseph played a key role in salvation history, and he did it heroically.   But if you boil it down, all Joseph really did was act on what he understood God wanted from him.   It wasn’t always easy, but Joseph tried his best to push through.

Today, you will have many opportunities to imitate Joseph’s simple, trusting obedience.   Maybe as you’re ready to criticize someone behind his back, your conscience gives you a warning, and you decide to keep quiet.   That’s God telling you to push through the negativity.   Or maybe you have avoided calling a friend to apologize for something you did, but something in your heart urges you to make that call.   That’s God asking you to push through your reluctance.   Perhaps you are in the middle of Mass, and you get the sense that God wants you to devote a little more time to prayer.   That’s God asking you to push through to a deeper prayer life.

Of course, you can’t always know how things will turn out once you do decide to push through and follow God’s lead.   Life doesn’t always go the way we expect.   Just ask Joseph!   But if he is any indication, we can be sure that a life marked by trust in the Lord is challenging but fulfilling.

You may never know what God will accomplish through you.   But you can be sure that if you don’t follow Joseph’s example, you risk missing out on the joy that he knew.   Obeying God isn’t meant to be complicated;  it isn’t meant to be a burden either.   It’s just the right thing to do.

Word Among Us