WEBVTT 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:09.919 It was absolutely perfect. 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:16.800 I mean, after all the hours, it was perfect. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:24.719 I had spent days and nights sleepless at times in my dad's shop. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:27.280 And I wanted to get it just right. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:32.399 Sawing, sanding, staining. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:39.520 And when I finally stepped away, I looked at it and it was just right. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:48.640 I think I had built the best crib ever on the planet. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:56.399 And with it, I was going to ask her to marry me. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:00.320 And you may be saying, okay, a crib. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.119 That's kind of an odd engagement present. 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:06.159 But you don't understand. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:09.359 When you're a carpenter, you do things a little differently. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.879 See, this was my way to tell her, I'm ready. 00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:16.319 I'm ready to start a family. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:17.920 I'm ready to fall in love. 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:22.959 I'm ready to spend a lifetime filling this crib with you. 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:26.640 I had it all worked out. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:33.120 I took her on a date and had some of my buddies go and take the crib, put it on her back porch. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:38.400 We went for a walk down by the lake and fed the ducks. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:39.599 It was cute. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:47.439 And when I walked her back to her dad's house and brought her up to the back porch, and there was the crib with a big bow on it. 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:51.599 She was confused at first. 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:58.560 But I said, Will you spend the rest of your life with me? 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:01.519 Can we make a family together? 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:06.159 It was the happiest time. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:09.120 The next couple of weeks were amazing. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:10.319 It was a blur. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:17.039 We spent time prepping and planning, and you know, everything seemed to be set in motion. 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:21.360 My dad, he was gonna give me a shop after years of apprenticing. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:23.360 He said I was ready to run it on my own. 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:27.039 Laughed, I told him I'd still give him a job. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:32.639 But because he was giving me this opportunity, I was finally gonna be making enough money to get my own place. 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.840 Had my eyes on this apartment across town, it was gonna be perfect. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:40.479 Two bedroom to start, but hey, room for us and room for the crib. 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:46.000 I couldn't have imagined a more perfect scenario. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:49.520 And then she came. 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.000 She came to my house one night. 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:56.800 She said, Joe, we gotta talk. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:00.080 Okay. 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:01.919 What is it? 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:09.599 With tears in her eyes, she looked at me and she said, Joe, I'm gonna have a baby. 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:16.879 What? 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:20.240 A baby. 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:28.639 In one moment everything I ever wanted fell apart. 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:37.280 I had all these plans. 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:40.000 I love her. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:47.520 Oh, she tried to explain it. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.159 Oh, an angel told me, whatever. 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:55.039 We all know there's only one way a baby's made. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:58.879 I was angry, I was hurt, I couldn't think. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:01.759 I walked out of there and I didn't know what to do. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:12.080 Down by the lake, I'm praying, I'm screaming, I'm crying, I don't everything, everything just changed. 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:21.199 I got together with my buddies and told them how angry I was, and but I but I needed help. 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:22.639 What do I do? 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:23.839 I asked my dad. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:25.839 I said, I love her, Dad. 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:28.160 I still love her. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.600 I have good friends. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.279 A good father. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:40.399 And by the end of the night, they'd helped me sort some things out, and I realized what I needed to do. 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:46.399 The next morning I was gonna go down to the courthouse, get the paperwork drawn up, and get put an end to this marriage. 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:48.560 But I was gonna do it as quietly as possible. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:51.279 See, the truth is I didn't want her embarrassed around town. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:52.879 I didn't want her shamed. 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:55.360 I still loved her. 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:05.120 I went to bed that night, sure, the next morning, my first visit was gonna be to the courthouse. 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:14.639 But in the middle of the night, I had this dream. 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:25.360 I mean, you ever have a dream that's so vivid that you could swear it's real? 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:28.959 Well, it was like that, but way more intense. 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:33.839 And all of sudden, there's an angel talking to me. 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:36.079 And I was afraid. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:48.959 I mean, first my life falls apart, and now this creature visits me in all this magnificence and glory, and I am scared to death. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.920 And he says, Don't be afraid, Joseph. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.240 And all of a sudden I felt peace. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:10.079 And he says, The child, the child inside Mary is from the Most High. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:17.839 And you will have him as your son, and you will name him Jesus. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:28.800 And he talked about the prophecy of old that the Messiah would come. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:34.879 And we would call him Emanuel, Imanuel, God with us. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.279 And you know what the first thing I thought was? 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:42.959 She still loves me. 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.519 I know I'm supposed to think more spiritual things in that moment, but I didn't. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:50.480 All I could think is she was telling the truth. 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:52.800 And then I thought, oh my gosh. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.199 This is the one. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:57.120 The one. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:06:59.920 Messiah, Emmanuel. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.319 The one that was promised to Abraham and David. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:07.839 That we've been waiting for. 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:14.240 It's just him. 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:20.560 My day went from good to worse to scary to better. 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:21.920 To unbelievable. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:23.680 And I didn't know what to do with myself. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:27.120 I ran the next morning and I went to Mary and I said, I know, I know, I know what you go. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:32.319 And then we could barely talk, but it was a lot of like that. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:34.399 And we're so excited. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:38.079 And she said, Did he tell you? 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:38.800 I said, Yes, he did. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:39.439 And do you understand? 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:39.839 Yes, I do. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:40.959 And do you are we still gonna do it? 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:41.920 Yeah, we're gonna do this. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:45.839 And there were so many plans again to make. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:48.560 There were so many plans again to make. 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:50.480 And she said, okay, listen, here's what I'm gonna do. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.000 I'm gonna go visit my relative. 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:54.800 Get out of town for a little bit because people talk, right? 00:07:55.040 --> 00:08:01.600 And I stayed behind and I got the apartment, and I started setting up the room, and I got that crib. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:05.040 I didn't think I'd need it this soon. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:08.160 And I put it in the room. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:14.399 And during her months with her relatives, I started building all the furniture to go around that crib, but it was a centerpiece. 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:20.480 I thought when she gets back, when she gets back, it's gonna be awesome. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:26.560 And she was gonna come back just in time to have the baby. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:34.720 But then we got a letter from the government. 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:37.519 Well, they mess some stuff up, don't they? 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:40.480 And they said, hey, guess what? 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:42.159 Time for everybody to get counted. 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:44.639 Go back to where your parents are from, and you gotta go. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.480 And so we had to go travel to Bethlehem. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:48.320 I'm like, Bethlehem, are you kidding me? 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:58.879 So right as she's getting home, we have this letter saying that we've got to take this 80-mile journey on foot to Bethlehem so we can go take part in this census. 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:02.320 Come on. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:06.960 With all the technological advances, I have to walk 80 miles? 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:10.879 So we pack it up. 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:11.759 I don't know about you. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:17.440 Have you ever walked 80 miles with a donkey and a woman that's nine months pregnant? 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:19.360 It's not fun. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:22.240 At all. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:34.159 We roll into town and all I want to do is check into the Romana, put my feet up by the pool, get one of those little drinks with an umbrella, right? 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:37.840 But wouldn't you know it? 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:43.279 Everybody else got the same letter. 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:51.200 And when you don't have a pregnant woman, apparently you walk faster. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:54.480 So there's no rooms left for us. 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:03.600 This little guy, I know a roof. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.039 Okay, we need something. 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:10.240 And he takes us around and oh. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.320 We're in a stall with the animals. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:19.039 But hey, there's a roof overhead. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.399 So I start rolling out the bedroll, and I start trying to make a place for Mary. 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.559 And also, get this. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:29.440 Joe, it's time. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:30.559 What? 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:35.919 We are in a barn. 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:41.440 So we start making preps, and I start kind of gets me some clean water. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:42.960 We start trying to clean the straw. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:45.120 Have you ever tried to clean straw? 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:46.399 Doesn't work. 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:55.919 So we're starting to try to clear a place, and we're like, there's gonna be a baby, and we're gonna need a spot to put them, and we got and I think back to that crib, and I go, I wish I had that crib. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:10:58.320 It was perfect. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:04.879 My kid's about to be born with the smell of manure. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:12.080 And I have the world's greatest crib sitting at home 80 miles away. 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:19.679 And all we can do is clean out a feeding trough and put down some blankets so he doesn't get splinters. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:28.799 It's a whirlwind from there, and I'll tell you, I think I blacked out a couple of times. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:30.320 Don't tell the other guys, okay? 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:36.799 But I it was it's scary, and it's kind of intimidating. 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:54.559 And here we are, and he shows up, and I hold him in my arms, and everything's changed. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:03.279 And I look at this baby, and I think back to that angel's visit. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:07.919 She'll call him Jesus. 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.039 He will save his people. 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:23.279 And I take this perfect child and I stick him in his less than perfect crib. 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:31.120 And I hit my knees and I just prayed, God, thank you for what you've done. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:50.879 And I thought of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah, who talked about my little child all those years ago, and I had no idea what this would look like when I was sitting in church, and the rabbi said that Isaiah had this verse. 00:12:53.039 --> 00:13:00.639 That he would come to set the captives free. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:12.240 When it said he would come to set the captives free, I thought they got that wrong because I pictured him walking in a room. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:20.480 I thought we should go back and change that and say, he will be born to set the captives free. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:24.639 And then it dawned on me. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:34.159 My child came to set me free. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:36.879 Me. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:45.840 All I could think is that my plans had gotten destroyed. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:53.200 That moment I vowed. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.080 To let him make the plans from now on. 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:07.600 And I realized I was free. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:10.720 I no longer had to worry about my own life. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:16.320 That's how I could turn myself over. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.240 It was the greatest thing I'd ever say. 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:31.279 Until I got older, but that's another story. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:34.080 I've taken too much of your time. 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:35.919 Thanks for listening. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:38.000 You'll have a great day.