One of us in our family had a meltdown Friday night. It might have included an ugly cry and talk about budgets, Christmas cards, ham, and insensitive comments.
My husband and I both worked really hard to understand each other, but OK, honestly John worked at it a lot harder than I did because, well, not to be sexist, but I’m a girl. And he feels really bad when I cry.
On this night our discussion was kind of like a Christmas movie marathon that seems to go on forever and eventually the stories seem to start blurring together and you get really tired. But John persisted and kept asking questions and listening until he finally said something and I grabbed him and yelled with great joy, “YOU SAID IT RIGHT THAT TIME!”
I felt like he finally got it. He understood. And he felt like he had vanquished the Abominable Snow Monster, guided Santa’s sleigh through the blizzard, and saved Christmas in that moment. He was my hero again.
It made me think of what Joseph must have gone through with Mary. I mean really. Jesus was fully human AND fully God, but Mary was just human! She was hormonal, and still in her teens, and unmarried and poor. And an angel had beamed down to have a chat with and her fiance.
Think of the conversations Mary and Joseph must have had as they navigated this crazy journey of morning sickness, and gossipy friends, and a long “road” trip without McDonald’s bathrooms! There must have been tears and confusion. Trying to understand what each other was feeling. Trying to support each other.
