Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. – Matthew 1:20-21
Multitudes of Christmas sermons and devotionals revolve around Mary, wise men and shepherds, but have you heard many sermons about Joseph? Even the animals surrounding Jesus’ birth are mentioned more than Joseph. So why is Jesus’ earthly father overlooked despite his formidable contribution to the events of the birth of the Son of God?
Perhaps Joseph is neglected because he did what was expected. He simply took good care of Mary and Jesus. Yet He was the consummate caretaker. From a human perspective, He was called to fight for and literally “saved” the Savior’s life. The evil King Herod was so threatened by the news of a Messiah King’s birth that he determined to snuff out this rival at an early age. Warned by an angel in a dream, Joseph picked up his young family and fled to Egypt until Herod died. Joseph’s role was hardly minor. God used him to care for and even “save” His Son (Matthew 2). Certainly God held Jesus and Joseph in His sovereign grip. Still, what a great weight Joseph must have carried!
Today in honor of Joseph, the unsung hero, we want to recognize and encourage the caretakers of our cancer patients. Their physical, emotional and spiritual needs are often overshadowed by the intensity of the patient’s fight. What great weights they must carry!
Many caretakers, like my wife, Terri, have fought with and for their patient. Several times during my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I had no strength or will to press on. With God’s grace, Terri helped carry me through. It is not the responsibility of caretakers to “save” their loved one. These decisions are made in God’s sovereign plans. Ultimately, God chose to spare me, yet I have profound admiration for those who have not had the same outcome as Terri and I. Their pain and grief surpasses ours, and they have handled devastating loss with amazing grace and dignity.
Caretakers are spouses, children, parents, siblings and dear friends. We don’t have their names on our Stronghold Ministry Prayer Wall (page 3 in our monthly newsletter, The Exchanger), but please pray for them as well, and encourage the ones you know. If you feel led, forward this to a caretaker and tell them you admire them. They might be doing what is expected, but so many have performed an impossible task so well!
Lord, we ask for one touch from You to the caretakers, to infuse Your supernatural peace, strength, comfort and love into their worn out bodies and souls. Let them know, even when people don’t notice, that their tender care does not go unnoticed by You.
