Well Good

 

W

hat could be more American than growing up on Main Street?  My family lived in a white house with trees in the yard, flowers beds in the front, a row of hedge in the back and along the side, and we had wonderful neighbors all around.  Mr. & Mrs. Carson lived across the street, my best friend David and his family lived next door, the Little’s house was directly across from us, and Mom and Pop Jenkins lived on the other side of our home.  All around, good neighbors and good friends surrounded us. 

Now, every small town has a couple the locals call Mom and Pop.  There were two such couples in our hometown but Mom and Pop Jenkins were the ones I saw on a daily basis.  Mom and Pop lived in the gray house next to ours.  Mom kept her house immaculate and well organized.  Both she and Pop worked diligently in their yard, raising all types of flowers, especially roses in the backyard.  The love and labor they poured into their home was evident and it was known as a show place.  Everyone was aware of Mom and Pop’s yard and would drive by in the spring and summer just to see it. 

Each morning, Mom would come out onto the front porch and sit in her rocker when the weather permitted.  She would string beans there, cut vegetables, or just sit and relax after completing her house work.  In the afternoon, she would wait for Pop to come home from work and the two of them would sit down to supper.   Afterward, they would come out on the porch and sit in the cool of the evening and talk and watch the cars pass by.  On more than one occasion, I spent several hours just visiting with them and getting to know them.  They were like a second set of grandparents to me. 

When ever Mom and Pop saw me, they always spoke and were always interested in what I was doing and where I was going.  It always thrilled me to share my news with Mom and Pop and, no matter what I told them, Mom’s answer was always the same, “Well, good!”   

Although Mom and Pop have been gone for many years, I can still here her voice saying, “Well, good!” as she listened to the ramblings of a four-year-old boy.  She and Pop always took time for all of us kids and they looked after us and corrected us as if we were their very own. 

The lesson I learned from Mom and Pop was invaluable. Through their actions and love for each other, they taught me what it meant to be truly dedicated.  Mom and Pop always worked together whether in the flowerbeds or when preserving fruits and vegetables.  They always insisted on doing things the right way and wouldn’t settle for second best.  That is why people in town admired and respected them. 

The opening chapter of the book of Job provides a good insight into his character.  In the opening verses of chapter one, God’s angels come to present themselves before him.  Accompanying them is Satan, also known as the Accuser.  Instead of throwing him out, God engages Satan in conversation, wanting to know where he has been.  Satan reveals that he has been walking throughout the earth taking notice of all its inhabitants.  It is at this moment that the conversation gets really interesting. 

In verse eight, God asks Satan an engaging question: "Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.”  Notice the terms God uses here to describe Job.  He is the “finest man in all the earth” and filled with integrity.  Moreover, he shuns anything evil; refusing to associate with any action or any person that is contrary to God and His laws.  What better reference could one hope for? 

As with Job, the Christian life isn’t always easy.  It is filled with situations that test our integrity and our dedication to our Heavenly Father.  These circumstances may seem innocent on the surface but underneath they spell disaster for the Christian.  You see, what works its way to the inside will eventually work its way out in actions and attitudes.  It is impossible to be one way in our hearts and another in our words and deeds.  They must work in complete harmony and unison with each other if our witness for God is to be believed and accepted by those around us. This was the strength of Job’s life and relationship with God.  You see, what we do doesn’t determine who we are; who we are determines what we do. 

Mom and Pop taught me this lesson.  Everything they did as a couple, in their marriage, in their home, in their conversation, in their relationships with family and friends, always emanated from their hearts.  They never spoke or acted in a way inconsistent with their characters nor contrary to their belief in God.  As a small boy, I treasured the time I spent with them and as an adult, I reflect on the lessons they gave me all those years ago.  It makes me stop and ask what lessons my life is teaching today?  If I told God all about my thoughts, if I revealed to him the motivations for my actions, would he say “Well, Good?”  Think about it!