Last week was about Mary; today, it’s Joseph’s turn.  You’re familiar with his story, right?  It’s there in Matthew 1:18-25.  Mary, trusting in the God of the impossible, accepts her role as the mother of the Messiah, and suddenly Joseph’s world is turned upside down.  His blessed betrothal to Mary has taken a shocking and disconcerting turn – she’s expecting a child that he knows is not his, and he doesn’t know what to do.  Perplexed would be an understatement.  So would hurt.  Betrayed might be the best description of his initial feelings.  It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this….  But then the angel came to Joseph with the same message that had been given to Mary.  “Fear not!”  Mary’s pregnancy was simply part of God’s miraculous plan to save mankind from sin, just as the prophet Isaiah had written hundreds of years before.  And Joseph embraced it, believed it.  No words of his are ever recorded in Scripture, but Joseph’s actions truly speak louder than words.  He set aside his hurt and fear and took his precious Mary as his wife.  I’m sure his marriage got the Nazareth town gossips’ tongues wagging!  I’m sure many questioned his wisdom, if not his sanity.  But Joseph showed his faith in God’s plan.  And so should we.  Without fear.  Trusting God’s plan doesn’t mean we will understand, but it does mean we will obey.  It means we will stay true to that plan no matter what is said or who says it.  We follow God’s word.  Period.  It’s not always easy, is it?  It wasn’t for Joseph, either.  But he stuck to God’s plan and followed it in faith.  And so should we.