In a dream

When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant and he thought she had slept with another man, the Lord sent him an angel in his dreams.

When the wise men had found Jesus, the Lord sent them home via a different route, by warning them in a dream. 

When the wise men left, an angel of the Lord warned Joseph in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt, and to wait there until he told them to come back.

While they were gone, Herod executed an evil plan to kill any baby who was born around the time of the star's appearance. When Herod died, the angel told Joseph to return to Israel.

When they got back to Israel, he was warned again, not to go to Judea but to Nazareth, and so they settled in Nazareth.

Can you imagine the excitement? The way that would make you feel about sleep? "Gonna fall asleep later; might chat with the angel of the Lord, idk." 

Joseph and Mary weren't priests, they weren't prophets, but they received and accepted the word of the Lord.

And I just love that God soaked this story with examples of himself reaching out to people directly, without the aid of a priest or system. He met them in their dreams - so personally, so intimately. Because that's what he was showing us with Jesus, with His Word made flesh and dwelling among us: this is who He is, and we do not need any other priest when we have His Son who tore the veil away and gave us all intimate, personal access to God. 

Merry Christmas, friends. 

And sweet dreams :) xo.