I remember the feelings I had when I first found out I was going to be a father.

Most fathers have nine months to prepare. You get the news, you look at the calendar, you figure out the day of the birth and you begin to prepare. These days, you can even find out what the gender is, so you can even prepare by having everything set up whether you are having a boy or a girl.

In our case, all of our children are adopted so we really didn’t have that kind of preparation time. In fact, the amount of time we had to prepare was actually in reverse order of their birth.

With Ana, we had no notice. Someone literally knocked on the door, put her in Beth’s arms and said, “I’ll bring her things tomorrow.” She has been with us ever since. Because of that visit, our lives will never be the same. She completely changed the dynamics of our family forever. For one thing, after two boys, I was not prepared for a little girl.

Isaiah was a little longer. We were notified about five days before he was born and Beth actually was able to be there and see him a couple of hours after he was born. For me, it was a little bit longer because we had to finalize all the legal documents for Isaiah to leave Pennsylvania and travel to Texas. What an exciting time! Samuel and I arrived at the airport a bit early, waiting for Beth to walk through the door with this little boy who would change our lives forever.

The longest we had to wait was for Samuel. In April of 1997, we were notified that we might have the opportunity and then, about four months later, he arrived.

I have been studying for some weeks now Luke 1 and 2 getting ready for Christmas messages. The thing that has impacted me is Joseph. He had made all the right choices and was obviously a Godly man who could be trusted.  Why else would God choose this man to raise His only begotten Son? He was doing all the right things. He had learned a trade. We know he was a carpenter. He was successful enough that he was in a position to get married and provide for a family. He had all the hopes and dreams that a man getting ready to begin his life would have. Then, his wife-to-be shows up pregnant, proclaiming that the baby was God’s son. Now, that’s a major change. How does he respond? Matthew says he took her into his house to live as his wife. Joseph was really an amazing man. So little is known or written about Joseph, but, at the same time, we learn so much from him about what it means to be a Godly father and Husband.

First of all, he put aside all of his pride and rights as a man to follow God’s plan for his life, even though it was a plan that really made no sense to him. Secondly, he cared for a woman that was carrying someone else’s child.

Thirdly, he raised the child as his own, the whole time knowing that this child was the Son of God.

We know that Joseph did teach Him the Word of God because, at the end of chapter two, we hear the story of Jesus at the temple. The passage says that, after three days in the temple courts, the religious leaders of the day marveled at his knowledge of the scripture because he was 100 percent man, as well as 100 percent God. He had to learn the truths of God’s Word. It was Joseph who taught him.

We also know Joseph taught his other children, because the New Testament book of James was written by James, the brother of Jesus.

When we think of Christmas, we think of the baby Jesus, Mary his mother, the wise men, the shepherds and the angels’ announcement. Let’s take some time this Christmas to learn from one of the greatest fathers in history, Joseph.

Deron Peterson is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach