Proverbs 26

We've had company this week, so I haven't been on line as much as "usual". It was a great visit with our daughter, son in law and their baby...our grand-daughter....oh the innocence of children (and the ways mother's know how and when they are trying to get away with things...even as infants!).

In reading this morning, I kept thinking..."why all the stuff about fools?" and kept reading on. The verses that stuck out in my mind are:

24 People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you. 25 They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils. 26 While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, their wrongdoing will be exposed in public.

This is so true in my life, and I wish I had memorized it long ago. So many times I have desired to be "accepted" by others, to fit in, to be known. Especially the last several years, living in a small town....everyone knows everyone...for better or worse. There are a few people that are genuine, but more often they are superficial. It's so frustrating for me, who wears her heart on her sleeve, to fit in. Really I don't fit in at all. Just recently (again) I was shopping at the local market and someone walked right by me, looked me in the eye, and didn't even say hello or acknowledge me. I've learned to just let it slide off me and not take it personal. I said "hi ___" but she just walked on. Oh well. That time I didn't even get pleasant words....

More than often, it's family members that are being weird, or other people in the community that are fans of my son's sports achievements....they think he'll be a star some day and want to hitch to his tail....so they'll be nice to me because I'm the mom. That really bothers me.

Now all of this does have a great plus side! The place God has brought us to....Christian Community. There are many friends that we've made there. They are genuine people, living not perfectly rosy lives. They really care about me. In a larger city, with more people, they will go out of their way to say hello, to initiate conversation, to connect. We have so much more in common spiritually with them....and I am so blessed!!

So, I'll cling to scripture and hold close to God's wisdom and promises. He IS so good...