Eyob's American Name is Joseph

It took some discussion for us to decide on it, but there it is: Joseph.

It’s a family name on both sides of the family for one thing. I LOVE that!

And for another, like Eyob (which means Job, as you may recall) it’s a very solid Bible name.  In fact, the very morning after we had discussed Joseph as a possibility, I ran into a friend. I’d been lamenting about some traumatic adoption stories I’d read – if I haven’t mentioned, adoption is a broken process in so many ways. She came to tell me she’d been thinking about me and wanted to encourage me with a story from the Old Testament. You guessed, the one about Joseph.

You see after the gorgeous coat and before he was named second in command in all of Egypt, he’d undeservedly landed in jail. But when he had the chance to talk about that time what Joseph said was, “Evil was planned against me, but God used those plans for the good.” I’m not one to get all goose-prickly, but I did in that moment! It’s one of the BEST stories of the Old Testament. Take a look, if you’ve never read it.

Since Sammie was little, Joseph and his coat of many colors has been a favorite story in our home. (Thank you, Donnie Osmond.) 

Also, I find it interesting as we come upon this Christmas season to remember that Jesus’ earthly father was named Joseph.

I had the joy of singing a duet at a Christmas Eve service a few years back. I had heard the song “Mary, Did You Know?” plenty of times before. This songs mixes that favorite with one I hadn’t heard called “It Wasn’t His Child.”  Julianne Hough and Phil Vassar recorded it several years ago -- Youtube it for yourself – it’s so worth it. But here are the lyrics for that part of the song – maybe you can see why it touched me so then and now:

He was her man, she was his wife.

And late one winter night, he knelt by her as she gave birth.

But it wasn’t his child.

And still he took him as his own,

And as he watched him grow, he brought him joy.

He loved that boy,

But it wasn’t his child.

It wasn’t his child.

Like a father he was strong and kind,

And I believe he did his best.

It wasn’t easy for him. He did all he could.

He grew up with his hands in wood.

And he died with his hands in wood.

It was God’s child.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb

He was her man, she was his wife.

And late one winter night, he knelt by her as she gave birth.

But it wasn’t his child.

It was God’s child.

If you’ve never read that story, it’s one of the BEST stories in the New Testament. Then, read the rest. It has a great ending.

Merry Christmas, everyone!