Review: "Laughing at the Days to Come"

            In the final chapter of the book of Proverbs, King Lemuel instructs his son on finding a woman who is worthy of marrying, and he writes, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. (Proverbs 31:25, ESV).

            Tessa Thompson, the author of Laughing at the Days to Come:  Facing Present Trials and Future Uncertainties with Gospel Hope argues that being able to laugh at the days to come is essential for the godly woman (and person, I add).

            Thompson was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 when she was sixteen years old – when she went deaf.  The disease causes tumors to form on the auditory nerves which brings about deafness.  Tumors can grow in other parts of the body, and it is a disease of chronic pain.  Her father went deaf with this disease in his forties.

            Thompson addresses her book specially to women – though men can certainly profit from her wisdom – and she divides her book into three sections:  Laughter: It’s Definition, Laughter: It’s Doctrine, and Laughter: It’s Doing.

            It’s Definition is found in “liv[ing] a life that reflects what is; namely, the present abiding reality of God” (16).  For, “the gospel promises us that this earthly vale of tears is not the end and our suffering here is fleeting, not final” (33).

            It’s Doctrine is found in Peter telling us that we have “a living hope” (51).  “He [God the Father] desires our highest good, and our highest good is God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Spirit-enabled holiness” (79).  “But the distinguishing mark of laughter at the days to come is an unwavering confidence that God will carry out His promises and finish what He began” (94).

It’s Doing is found in knowing that we are given doctrine to know what we ought to know and believe about God and the Gospel, and that we would live in the light of those truths (118).

If you think you might suffer, if you are suffering, if you think you might suffer in the future, if you want to be assured that God loves you, Christ has live and died and risen for you, and the Holy Spirit is upholding you day by day, this is a great book to read.  I would put this on my list of books every Christian should read.

If you want insight into what the Bible teaches us about suffering and how we are to live in the light of the truth about God and the Gospel – whether you are a woman or a man – this is a great resource.

            [This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]