Real Life: Middle of the week ...

It's a good feeling when I can tell the kids it's already Wednesday. It seems the middle school day in the week brings smiles and they know Friday is not far off.

I've been doing more of my Bible Study lesson and I can't wait to see what today will teach me. The lessons are taking me through the childhood of Jesus. Even though the Bible doesn't give much detail about Jesus' boyhood, Beth Moore writes of how the Jewish families would have been like back then. They were real people like us and raising children back then was not just an easy task. Just like it is today. The Bible does tell us in Matthew 13:55, that Jesus was known as being the carpenter's son. That must mean that Jesus did the same work as his father Joseph. As I picture this in real life, I can see Joseph trying to teach Jesus how to make things out of wood, metal, leather, nails, etc.. I have been trying to imagine in 'real life' thoughts of how it must have been for Joseph and Mary to live, teach, and disciple Jesus as a baby, boy, and man. I think it must have been really tough. Imagine thinking, "This boy is really God's son!" Imagine realizing that God put you in charge of raising His Son and then have other children in the same household. The Bible does tell us that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Try to imagine that ... treating them all the same!?! Wow. That must have been tough to not treat Jesus a little more better than the others or watch his moves just a little bit more.

Beth wrote this, "How in the world would earthly parents rear the perfect Son of God in an imperfect household?" These parents must have been chosen by God for their character and faith!

Joseph and Mary did the same traditional things with Jesus as their inheritance would have taught them to do. They took Jesus to the temple and they gave a sacrifice. They took their family to Jerusalem for Passover, Pentecost and & the Feast of Tabernacles. We are told in the Bible that Jesus was 12 years old when they went on one of these trips and when they left for back home, Joseph and Mary thought Jesus was with other travelers. When they realized that he was missing, they searched hard for three days! I cannot not imagine losing your child for three whole days. I don't have a 12 year old yet, but 10 is close. I would not be happy, but scared. I would not be able to sleep, but want to keep searching. I would not be able to function very well after one day of searching, and then two days of more looking, and then finally on the third day find him!!! I would think that my human mind would be so tired of all looking but yet my heart so glee when I would have found him.

What would I have said??? When Joseph and Mary found him in the temple with the teachers, they were amazed. I think they would have finally asked, "How could you do this to us? We searched long and hard for you and all this time you were just calmly sitting here in the temple teaching?" They were not too sure how to respond to his answer, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" How would I respond? Well, surely Jesus knew that he was still living in their home and still too young to be out and about on his own. It says in Luke 2:51 that Jesus did go with them back to Nazareth and lived with them. "Mary kept all these sayings in her heart."

The Bible doesn't talk anymore about Jesus as a boy. It says Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man.

I am enjoying trying to picture Jesus in 'REAL LIFE'. Even though he was the Son of God, he also was a human. All the daily habits and things that we do, he might have done too. Very human, yet very God. Sinless. Perfect.

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Monday the kids had no school. Hadassah and Laurie (a friend from school) have been wanting to do some shopping and hanging out together, so we did this Monday afternoon. It was a good time and they both bought a shirt at Ross and then some magnet clip earrings at Clair's and we ended the fun with some frozen yogurt with lots of toppings.