The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

To put it bluntly, I was ticked off! You’d be too if your fiancée told you she was pregnant and you knew you had nothing to do with it.

To make matters worse, she was delusional to boot. She dreamt up this cock-and-bull story about a spirit making her pregnant. I ask you, have you ever heard of something like that? It’s unbelievable! Maybe she’s possessed . . .

Now don’t get me wrong, she’s got a good heart. But you can’t blame me for being sceptical. Would you believe your fiancée if she told you she was pregnant but insisted she hadn’t been unfaithful to you? It’s a no brainer.

So you’ll understand why I’m breaking off the relationship. I’ll do it on the quiet of course. I’m only telling you so you’ll understand – I’ve still got feelings for her – and yes, I’m frustrated, but I don’t want her to be disgraced. Anyway, I’ll let you know how it goes.

I came across the above note the other day. I’d intended on sending it to you, but it got misplaced – a good thing too. You see, after I wrote it I was going to her father’s place to tell him I was calling off the marriage. On the way I stopped for a rest by the stream near Elud’s place, to figure out what I was going to say, and with the stress of it all and the warmth of the mid-day sun, I dozed off.

While I was sleeping I had this dream. I’ve got to tell you, it wasn’t like any dream I’ve ever had before . . . it was real . . . there was this angel of the Lord who said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. God’s Holy Spirit has made Mary pregnant. She’ll have a son, and when she does you’ll name him Jesus . . .” That’s exactly what he said, word for word. And you know, it settled all my doubts and concerns.

I went right on home after that. It may sound crazy to you, but after the thing with the angel I was no longer sceptical or cynical, all my fears had melted away – I was thoroughly convinced that Mary’s story was true, that she’d conceived a baby by the Holy Spirit. But the real clincher was when the angel told me I was to name the baby Jesus. What do you think? Is it a long shot? I’m wondering if this might be the promised Messiah, the One who will save us . . .

All that to say, I’m a believer . . . Mary’s pregnancy is obviously supernatural. I don’t say that lightly and I’m not nuts. You know me, you know how I love the Torah, how I worship the Lord. And that’s why I know this is a God thing and why I plan on taking Mary home as my wife . . .