I have an unmarried friend who wants to be married.

She’s divorced, has a child, and is ready to find someone. The problem is, she hasn’t. And this weighs heavily upon her.

Statistically, the odds are very good she’ll meet someone, fall in love, and marry again. Sure, he probably won’t be who she suspects, and it may be at a time she least expects. But this doesn’t matter because statistics aren’t doing it for her.

Instead, she finds herself regularly lamenting her situation, the roadblock caused by her broken marriage, her hectic job, and her aging figure. She wonders if God is actually listening to her. She wonders if God sees her loneliness. She wonders if God cares and if he is going to work things out.

My friend’s anxiety most certainly mirrors Joseph’s – the man highlighted in Sunday’s gospel who was engaged to Mary. His situation was a mess: his fiancé became pregnant, he fretted about what to do, he certainly considered his reputation, and he too faced the possibility of living the rest of his life alone.

However, Joseph held on.

He was taught then, the very thing he teaches us today: faithfulness.

Somehow the strong and silent Joseph (who never utters a word in the Bible) held on to that notion that God was in control. No matter how confused and complicated his situation, he held out and held on: we can thank Joseph for Christmas.

And we can thank God that no matter how murky and muddled our situations are, God is at work as well.

Hang on. God is in control. God is up to something.