It’s a not unexpected scenario today, that if a woman becomes unexpectantly pregnant, the man may reject her, the pregnancy and the child. A heart that may have once been open to the woman shuts down on her, the unborn child and the life that might have followed.
That’s what happened to the newly engaged couple, Joseph and Mary. Mary learned that she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. She told Joseph and he quietly decided to call it off. He shut down his heart to Mary, to the unborn child and to life together into the future.
But God had a bigger plan at work – as we well know in hindsight. His plan was for Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father and to live together with Mary as a family.
So God had a quiet word with Joseph, using an angel: “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
And just like that (well, perhaps after some soul searching) Joseph’s heart was open wide to marrying Mary and fathering Jesus: “Okay Lord, if that is what you want, it’s OK by me.”  Sometimes we can be very closed hearted to the Lord and his plans for us. But what if we allow the Lord to speak to us – maybe by an angel messenger, or direct in His Word, or through another person; He might open our hearts right up, “Okay Lord, if that’s what you want, it’s OK by me”, even surprising us with what His plans might be.
When we are open hearted to the Lord in all the circumstances of our lives we might be blessed beyond our expectations at what he can do, in for and through us.