Job 13

The 15th verse of this chapter is probably one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible.

Though He slay me, still will I trust in Him.

To the death. That's how far this whole deal has to go. All or nothing. And I'm all in. No matter what. Come what may. I have put my hope and trust in Him. But short of death, what might this mean?

Today was a really full day. Chock full of family and friends. My sister-in-law remarried in a lovely ceremony in Sapulpa. We dropped by to see some cousins in Bristow. And then we visited LifeChurch.tv Tulsa campus and ran into all kinds of people I like. Dinner with one friend and his family and desert with another. But overshadowing it all was one person I met that I can now mark off my bucket list. Brannon's father.

I've known Brannon for over 20 years and this was my first time to lay eyes on his father. This was only Brannon's second time to meet him since he left when Brannon was a baby. Of course Brannon has a dad that he loves and raised him well and is my father-in-law and my kids' grandpa. But this lingering loose end was always looming out there. So I was very glad to finally get to meet him. And for our kids to meet him. And for my parents to meet him. And even for Brannon to chat with him a bit (no matter how awkward). And for him to get to meet us.

I'm not exactly sure if there's a direct tie between this lonely old man and the despair in Job 13. But I guess it's just that if I say I will trust God to the death, that also means I have to trust Him when what I'm called upon to do is be friendly to a complete stranger desperate for family ties and a sense of belonging. To feel pity and mercy for someone who has deeply hurt people I love. And to offer a hope and a feeling of restoration to someone who really has no other way to know what being in a family really means unless his own family can somehow show him. And just go on through life without bringing up old stuff that doesn't really matter anymore. And love and hope and trust. To the death.