The Game of Life

It was such a good idea. I wanted our family to spend some time together playing a board game. I was expecting lots of laughter and fun amidst a myriad of snacks, which in our family equals fun sadly enough. In fact, I could put out a large plate of nachos and no game would be needed. However, we decided to play The Game of Life. We all picked our playing piece from plastic cars in a variety of colors and put the sex appropriate colored peg in the front driver seat. In the original game this was a straight plastic peg with a ball on the end representing the head. Now the pegs have developed shoulders. I am not sure why except for the fact that you must need big shoulders in The Game of Life. I was in the orange car obviously driven by a pink peg with shoulder pads. I had to remind my youngest that he needed a blue peg. Oh brother! We all took turns spinning the wheel to see who would go first. My youngest won the spin and the game began.

My family is quite vocal and so it wasn’t but a few minutes into the game when everyone was talking at the same time and I was confused beyond belief. This is happening more often lately, something to do with being in my 40’s. My oldest son, who was married last summer, suggested that everyone should talk one at a time before my head popped off. I thanked him as I was sure that my head was in fact ready to launch itself into the light fixture above the table. I have the funniest kids but their problem is that they don’t know when to stop. The older I get the sooner I think they should stop. Anyway…….

The first choice each of us had to make was whether we are going to go to college or just hop in and choose a career. You did this by drawing a card from the deck of career cards and then drawing a salary card. If you choose to go to school you had to take a bank loan of $100,000. (Great) This supposedly was to allow you the opportunity to choose a better career with a higher salary. So I chose the education route, trying to be a good example to my children. They all laughed at me and went the career route. I was shaking my finger at them wanting to use this as a teachable moment.

Over the next few turns all of us had drawn our career and salary cards. They were all entertainers (big surprise, I wonder if there is a smart alek category for entertainer), athletes, tech support, etc. and had very very nice salaries in which they would get the joy of collecting every time the passed a payday. I, on the other hand was an accountant and I drew $30,000 a year for a salary and I had a huge loan to pay back. They did not. Not only that I landed on every “have a baby” square on the board. If I had one more baby I would have had to attach another car to the back of my orange mini van playing piece. Everyone was having a hoot and naming my children. They were all married with no children and huge salaries, very large bank accounts and nice homes which they sold later in the game for a huge profit. I was too busy paying off the school loan and paying expenses for the children to buy a house. My oldest son kept doing things that contradicted the rules of the game and when we would correct him he would say,” But I am a millionaire, I can do whatever I want.” What a joker!

As the game went on everyone was laughing except me. I thought to myself, “This is a little too real.” I thought I had made all the right choices in order to have a nice life/game and it all back fired. At the end of the game I retired but with little money. However, I had a huge family to visit me in my retirement home. I am not sure how I paid for it but I was there.

The game was full of decisions like buying insurance, buying a home, which route to take and even though we tried to make the best decisions possible the game still snuck up and surprised us. For instance, I landed on the square where you had to pay $5000 per child for a college fund. Considering I had four little plastic big shouldered children it cleaned me out until the next payday and I still was paying off the loan for my own college. I wanted to pull my hair out. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? My millionaire son won of course. I let him know that that did not mean he could do anything he wanted. He disagreed but that’s his wife’s problem now.

We cleaned up the game and everyone either headed home or headed to bed and I headed to a sleepless night where I relived our life year by year trying to re-evaluate the choices we made. I should have been deep in sleep but I was deep in thought. I thought that we had made all the right choices when we started our life together Garry and I, but life continued to sneak up on us. We have landed on numerous bizarre life squares and have dealt with them as best we could trying to follow the directions of our maker above who could see the whole picture. At times He has steered us to routes that others would not take because it didn’t look smart to them. And sometimes we have had to ask the very honest question of God, “why?”

Just like in the game when I landed on a tragic or stressful life square I would slump in my chair not believing that that just happened. Then I would sit up and work through the pain and move on. As the game neared the end I thought to myself, “I might as well refill everyone’s drinks and get more chips because I am so not going to make it to the end, at least not with anything in my pocket.” I also realized that I have come to a similar place in my real life almost wanting to just give up.

I woke up the next morning a bit down and then the Lord started reminding me of things that He has said to me along the way and I realized that if I hadn’t come this way I would have missed these precious Words. This is maybe not the life I would have chosen for myself. Quite frankly, I would love to have a life of luxury where I do nothing but travel or to have a brilliant career where I am well respected and successful. But God has called us to ministry. Talk about a bizarre life square! Where a lot of times there is not extra money to travel and sometimes you get no respect. The rain falls on everyone and we have had our share, as I am sure you have had your share.

So I am on a quest to remember what He has said to me in the times of trial and stress as well as the times of joy and laughter and to record them for my own healing and hopefully for your benefit. So that you can see that God works and speaks to us in the times of extreme pressure not for the purposes of meanness but for the purposes of conforming us into the image of His Son Jesus. This life is not about retiring with all the gadgets or funds but reaching the end of the race and hearing. “Well done, good and faithful servant”. I want to walk into heaven all used up. Really, He is not going to be too impressed by all the clever things that I did for myself. The only thing He is looking for is the blood of His Son covering me making me righteous before God. I remember as a young mother telling God to “bring it on”, whatever it took to make me like Him. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that life has been a bit of an adventure. I have triumphed at times and I have had times of failure. I have climbed a mountain and have rafted the white water of the valley. I can tell you this that I have lived. I choose adventure. I choose faith. I choose the narrow way, the high road and the road less traveled. I do not choose clichés or sanctimonious sayings. I choose the Word of Life. I choose the lifetime goal of knowing Him above success or renown. The road I have traveled has taught me much. The road ahead has much to teach me. For I know that all things work together for good, for those that love God and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
Yes even my stupidity. Even my failures. Even my weakness.

People are like Creme Brulee

Have you ever met someone who is just hard. You wonder if there is anything tender or sweet about them at all. I was eating one of my favourite deserts when it hit me that I have an acquaintance that is like Creme Brulee. She is hard and a bit abrasive. And then the moment of truth, you crack through that hard outer shell and you find yourself enjoying the sweet treat underneath. She is adventurous and rebellious, say what she thinks and stands her ground. She is truly a free spirit. We have had completely different lives. I have played it safe....she has thrown caution to the wind. I have something to learn from her and I am sure she could possibly learn something from me.....maybe. I would have missed it if I would have wrote her off as too hard to get to know. Big lesson!!!!!! Spend enough time with people to get to really know them and life will be sweeter and maybe just a bit more adventurous. You are never too old to make a friend. While it is a safe bet that you will not see me sky diving......I am going to try something new.....like try to enjoy art or walk somewhere that takes me all day........

Do you know a creme brulee kind of person? Stay long enough to break through the hard topping and get to know them.