Christmas stirs a lot of emotions in us; one of those is regret. And yet the Christmas story is much about letting go and trusting God's plan. With that vision, Joseph is like an unsung hero of Christmas. He doesn't get a speaking line in the story, but gosh, does he get a heavy load! It would have been easy for Joseph to give in to bitterness or regret.  The truth is Christmas can become the time that tough emotions bubble up. But we have a choice better than regret - we can TRUST that even in the mess that life becomes, God is still at work.

Traveling Light

Nostalgic Regret

Matthew 1:18-25

"Memories are the treasure of your heart, written in your mind."

"We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of the wicked person rots away."  - Proverbs 10:7

Regret - a distress of mind, or a painful memory, over something that happened in the past. It often reflects the contemplation of a circumstance that lies beyond the possibility of repair.

Undo regret by uncovering its source:

1) Regret comes from unexpected turns.

v18, "Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph."

2) Regret grows out of undeserved pain.

v19, "Joseph was a righteous man."

3) Regret is rooted in unresolved fear.

v20, "Joseph, son of David...do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife."

Overcoming regret:

v24, "When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife."

• Wake up to the moment of NOW.
• Leap into the risk of faith.
• Draw close to people with grace.