The Carpenter God EntrustedSample

When the Plans Get Ruined

Joseph had dreams. He was building a house, getting ready for the wedding, planning his life with Mary. And all of a sudden, everything got ruined – news of her pregnancy turned his entire world upside down.

At such a moment, it’s easy to be consumed by pain, offense or shame.

But Joseph chose something else and that is mercy. He didn’t understand what was going on but decided not to disgrace Mary. According to the Law he could have demanded punishment but chose silence. According to the custom, he should have rejected, but he chose compassion. His heart turned out to be kinder than the rules. For where the law ends, grace begins.

It was when all his plans fell apart that God revealed His plan. Very often God’s story starts there where our own plans end.

Perhaps, Joseph went back to his workshop in order to think everything over and there in its tranquility to decide what to do next. It was there, surrounded with aroma of wood and sawdust, that God started shaping a new story – story of hope that arises among the wrecks.

Quiet questions in the workshop:

• When was the last time I chose mercy over justice?
• How do I react when my plans don’t work out?
• Am I ready to trust God even when His way seems to me painful and hard to understand?

Prayer:

Lord, when my plans fall apart, please teach me never to lose faith. Make my heart soft, like Joseph’s – heart that chooses mercy over condemnation. Amen.