Joseph Didn't Talk?

There isn’t much written about Joseph after Jesus’ birth, but we know he moved the family around to protect Jesus from Herod and went searching for Him when he hung back in the temple to chat it up with the elders. He was a behind-the-scenes guy, and he wasn’t the lead in the show. He knew the limelight wasn't his, but what he did quietly made everything we read about possible.

"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)

There is so much that goes on behind the scenes to make our lives possible.

Just think about the convenience of going to the grocery store. That food doesn't grow on the shelf. Somebody has to work the night shift to put it there. A driver has to deliver it, a farmer grows it, or a rancher raises it. It takes long, quiet days and nights behind the scenes, so we can walk up and just toss it in our carts.

Think about your job. Technology isn't automagic. People are behind the scenes making sure things operate correctly. Offices are cleaned, elevators maintained, phones answered, designs drawn, paper pushed, and data processed. In fact, most of us are quietly behind the scenes working so the star of the show can earn their applause.

Whatever role you are in, remember all of the people you have behind you helping make it possible, whatever it is. And if you think it's all you, remember when you take your next bite of food where it came from.

Without Joseph, who knows how things would have unfolded. The show doesn't go on without all of the people backstage. Don't be concerned about public applause, but rather the impact you can have on the person next to you.