I like to think that Joseph had prepared his heart and home for his baby. I like to think that he claimed Jesus as his, just as so many of us want to. I imagine him in his wood shop making a gift for his baby boy. Yes, he might not have a lot to offer…but he could offer a cradle,a bed for his child. What would he have carved? Who did he love? I imagine Mary a woman that was confident in her future, not weak and only mild mannered. I imagine her strong and brave and a woman who could hold space for Joseph to wonder if he would be enough for this baby. She would tell him he would be a gentle and patient daddy, whose first act would be to sit in awe and amazement at his baby on a starry night. Yes, Mary was a woman to love. So, maybe he carved a little bit of him and her on that cradle for his baby. A sun and a moon. To remind this sweet family of three that Joseph, the sun, would shine all of his love onto his two most beloved people…Mary, the moon, would be strong enough to hold the darkness with her baby and husband and light the way when the path seemed lonely…and Jesus, the star, would be a guiding force for their hearts and one day the world. I like to think he would carve that sun and moon on that little wooden box and together Mary and Joseph would lay their star in it on that Christmas night. Angels would come to bless them with courage and love. And although it will forever be remembered as a glorious night for the world…. It first started out as a beloved night for a family of three.