An Advent Storybook and Study: Seeking Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Copyright 2025 by Lūminé Press, Written by Elsie Lungren, Illustrated by Nicoleta Dabija
Day 03
Mormor said, “Good evening, children. Today we continue our story. Some time has passed, and Joseph has learned that Mary is going to have a baby.”
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An Angel Visits Joseph
Joseph had a problem, and as usual, he shared it with his trusted donkey. “Dottie, as you know, I am engaged to be married to Mary. But, I just learned that Mary is expecting a baby, and yet we have never shared a bed before. This should not be possible. It does not look good either. People will whisper and talk. Our reputations will be ruined. I don’t know what to do, but I think I should probably break up with her. I know she is a good person, and I love her, but she must have shared a bed with some other man. So, we should not get married.”
Nettie Mouse was once again in Dottie’s wicker saddle basket, and she whispered to Dottie, “Oh, no! If only Joseph knew what Gabriel had said to Mary! I wish we could tell him, but even if he could understand us, he would never believe it!”
Joseph, tired from all these heavy thoughts, lay down and soon fell asleep with his head resting on a bale of hay. Soon after that, a bright light appeared.
“Don’t worry, Nettie,” said Dottie. “God is going to help Joseph. See that bright light? You know who’s coming next!”
And at the moment, an angel appeared from the light and entered Joseph’s dream. Joseph jumped back. “I must be seeing things,” he said aloud. “Dottie, are you seeing this?”
“Hee-haw!” brayed Dottie.
Then the angel spoke. “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
Mormor paused and said, “Conceived is a hard word. Can anyone explain what it means?”
Annika was the first to raise her hand. She said, “It is the moment when a new life begins to grow in the mommy’s tummy.”
“Yes,” said Mormor. “And what do you think it means that baby Jesus was conceived from the Holy Spirit?”
This time Linnea raised her hand first, and she said, “It explains how baby Jesus could start growing inside Mary’s tummy even though she hadn’t married and shared a bed with Joseph yet.”
“Yes,” said Mormor, “Instead of the baby starting to grow naturally from having both a mom and a dad, it was a miracle because God just placed the baby inside of Mary to start growing. So, now that the angel has explained this miracle to Joseph, let’s get back to our story.”
Joseph listened carefully to what the angel said. After he woke up, he said to Dottie, “I am going to marry Mary. And when she gives birth to the baby, I will name him Jesus.”
Nettie whispered to Dottie, “Do you remember the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14? It says, ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son – and they will call him Immanuel.’”
“Yes,” said Dottie. “Immanuel is another one of His names. It means, ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23). This is all part of God’s plan. It is so exciting that we are here to see the prophecies come true. I am so glad that the angel explained to Joseph what is going on.”
“Me, too!” squeaked Nettie. “I wonder what is going to happen next!”
Mormor said, “Imagine what it must be like for an angel to appear in front of you with a special message just for you. God knew that Mary needed Joseph’s support, and God knew that Joseph needed to understand. God gave each of them what they needed, and He used an angel as His messenger.”
Application: God knows what each of us needs. We might not see an angel appearing out of a bright light. But we can trust that God will give us what we need. If we need direction, wisdom, encouragement, or assurance, we might find that God is speaking to us through the words of the Bible; or we might find that God is speaking to us through someone else or through a song; or we might feel that God is speaking to us through a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12 KJV or NKJV) that comes as we patiently and expectantly wait on Him, listening, longing to feel His presence and peace.
Reading: Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 7:14, Verses about waiting on God to hear His voice: Psalm 46:10, Deuteronomy 30:20, Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 3:6 (“Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track” (The Message)), Isaiah 40:31.
Hymns:
Open My Eyes That I May See (written by Clara H. Scott in 1895)
Speak to Me (written by Rebecca St. James in 1996).
