You are Our Joseph

While we were converting to Catholicism throughout parts of 2006 and 2007, one of the tasks that we had was to pick a Confirmation name.  We were encouraged to do research about saints and we even had to share more about at least one saint we had learned about with our RCIA group.

I had a difficult time, swaying between various names that I thought would make other people happy before finally settling on Martha, the one that made me happy.  During my vacillating, Eric finally said to me, “Martha’s your girl.”  I knew it was true.  I often find myself so caught up in other things that I can turn in to a Martha.  But, it was my hope that I would learn to be more like the Martha of later in the New Testament that stopped everything she was doing to go greet Jesus when her brother had died.

Eric also had a difficult time choosing.  He decided that he probably wanted to pick a saint that had something to do with his profession.  So, he thought through a few, but also kept Joseph in mind as well.  There was no mistaking the fact that I hoped he would choose Joseph though.

One evening, when he was already pretty strongly leaning toward Joseph anyway, I made my last plea for the name of one of my favorite saints, just to try to seal the deal.

I reminded Eric that professions come and go.  He might not always be in a business that deals with metal nor will he necessarily always be an engineer.  I told him, however, that he would always be a father.  And, as far as I was concerned, I was pretty darn certain he would always be my husband.

You are our Joseph.

We laugh a little now that it might have been a tad of an emotional plea.  But, I meant it then, and I still mean it now.  Eric’s not a perfect man (nor am I a perfect woman), but he does his best.  And in a busy world, he works hard to provide for us while also trying to put his family first.  We’re blessed to have him as our Joseph.