Hi Friends,

I have had a busy few weeks. We attended graduation at Georgia, I finished my little teaching job (although I absolutely loved it, I am praying about what’s next because as an empty nester I should probably work more than two days a week). I’ve been spending quite a bit of time with Nate who leaves in a few days for his internship in Atlanta. Then this weekend we had the whole Jackson Five together, which is always a tremendous gift. One of my favorite things in the whole world is to drift off to sleep while hearing the brothers laugh together in the next room. Is there a better lullaby?

This morning, before we headed to church together (The Jackson Five at our beloved little church is another favorite of mine), I was reading from my Everyday Gospel Bible in the Book of Job. A line from Chapter 21 was an odd epiphany. Do you ever read a verse you have definitely read multiple times in the past and yet it hits hard, as if you have never in your life heard it? This is the line spoken by Job: “Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.” In other words, “Let me speak my piece, but then mock me all you want.” My epiphany was that this is one of THE problems that plagues our culture in the 21st Century. People are so concerned about what others think. Mockery is avoided at all costs.

This should not be. We should not care in the least if the culture mocks us, or even, at times, our so-called friends. If the last five years have proven anything, it is the absurdity of groupthink. Could the majority be more wrong than they were in 2020? Who would want to fit in with that crowd? Yet it was not a unique era. It is a common occurrence for the majority to be dead wrong. We need to be committed to praying for wisdom and discernment and to saturate our thinking with the Word of God. The prevailing view may sometimes align with the straight and narrow path that God calls us to, but we shouldn’t be surprised if that alignment is rare.

Mantras like “You do you,” or “Rock on” affirm your chosen path, but “Mock on” acknowledges that there is a right path. You can mock me, Job says, my life may be in shambles, but “My Redeemer lives!”

Your Redeemer lives. Even the laughter of loved ones as a lullaby cannot compare to this truth.

With Love,

Kristie