Sometimes God's Dream is Different Than You Imagined
- Patty Breen
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Sometimes the dreams we imagine for ourselves are different than the ones God has for us.
One of the most relatable plot lines woven into the Nativity story are all the different characters and how I think all of them would have imagined their life going very differently than it did.
Heartbroken over her infertility, Elizabeth never dreamed of having a baby at 78. Nothing could have prepared Mary to have an angel deliver a message that she would bear the Messiah or that she would give birth in a common cave where animals ate and slept. Anne and Joachim were not expecting to be told by their 13-year old daughter that she conceived a baby of heavenly origin.
Zechariah did not expect to go mute for months on end until his son John was born. Joseph saw his betrothal to Mary going quite differently, never thinking he would seriously consider divorcing her. Mary probably never expected to escape in the night, newly postpartum, to save her baby from an evil king.None of these women and men saw their story going the way it did. And yet, God had a different plan. God invited them to be part of a story so much bigger than themselves. A story that has been told for generations by Christians all across the globe.
A story that gives hope reminding all people that God is with us, that we are never forgotten by Divine Love. That God makes a way through the twists and turns, even if they make no sense.
Today’s Gospel reveals the mindset of Joseph. An honorable man, he did not want to publicly expose Mary to Law that would likely harm her. He wanted to deal with “the matter” quietly; letting her go to avoid the ridicule and shame that would follow an unwed mother.
Shaken and confused, I imagine he was trying to make the best decision amid such bewildering news. The hopes and dreams he had for his life with Mary were swept away in an instant. Joseph never imagined any of this happening.
An angel comes in a dream to Joseph, reassuring him to not be fearful in taking Mary as his wife. That her story is true and a mighty work of God answering the pleas of generations to send the Messiah. The dream God invited Joseph into was much different than what he probably imagined for his life. And God made a way, had a plan through it all. Joseph had free will and could have moved forward in divorcing Mary. He trustingly stepped into a new plan with God.
The same is true for all of us. Sometimes God’s dream for you might be different than what you imagined or hoped for in your life. And no matter what happens, God is with us. God is with you. Your life is being held and cared for, even if it doesn’t always make sense or feels hard.
May we look to Joseph and all the named and nameless characters of the Christmas story in these final days of Advent for hope and inspiration as we journey through this life.