Do you hear that?
That's the sound of mockery my dear friends.
I've heard it in the presence of sporting events mostly, until just recently that is.
When I heard the boo-ing, I couldn't help but remind myself of the popular quote I had hanging on my door during my teen years, "What's popular is not always right. What's right is not always popular."
What had I been doing to have this mockery directed at me, you might ask. The reality is that the answer is quite complicated.
I was at a party. A party in fact that I didn't want to go to in the first place, but I went because I was visiting a friend in her hometown, and she wanted me to meet her friends.
What else was going on?
I was seated in a circle with the crowd, but completely disconnected from them while playing games and reading my Bible via the app on my phone in effort to avoid my surroundings of drinking, smoking, cursing, and other inappropriate, unsettling conversation.
No one knew what I was doing aside from playing on my phone, but I know they noticed my discomfort. Yet, even my good friend didn't seem to care.
Later in the evening one guy started chanting shots, and the discussion of everyone doing tequila shots sprang up. He went around asking everyone who was in. Of course, they all said yes. Except me that is.
And that's when the boo-ing began.
"You can boo me all you want, but I'm not going to do a shot," I demanded.
I wasn't sure if I should be hurt or peace.
Hurt because for one of the only times in my life I truly was absolutely unable to camouflage into my surroundings. I didn't fit into any part of the evening. Not the activities, not the conversations, not even the show on television in the living room was appropriate to engage my interest.
My tattoo was even mocked during a discussion on tattoos. "The Bible scares me," one girl said. As I tried to ask questions, she said she didn't want to talk about it and went back to the conversations on pornography, graphic novels, and conspiracy theories.
I felt hurt even for these people, including my friend, who are so far from understanding the grace and peace that only Christ can provide. I hurt because even when Christ was brought up by a fellow partier, the discussion quickly died in fear.
Then I felt a sense of peace.
Peace because I have faith that God loves me despite what these mere humans may have thought. Peace because I have security in the cross and death and resurrection of my Savior. Peace because I know that His plans for this world are far greater than the conspiracy theories I heard discussed that evening.
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I'm thankful that I have a Savior who comforts me in times of hurt and frustration. I'm thankful that God gives me wisdom to make choices and strength to go against what the popular choice might be. I'm thankful for friends and family that I could talk to later who stand by me in trying times.
The only one I'm here to impress is the Lord, and I will stop at nothing to satisfy His calling upon on my life.
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