“Yahtzee!” my grandmother used to yell in exhilaration. She loved the game. I could be sure that if we were playing games with Grandmommy and Granddaddy, Yahtzee would be one of them. The premise of Yahtzee is to put all your die into a cup, shake them up, and roll them out all at once, hoping that when they appear on the table, they are all the numbers you want to win the game.
In my own life, and my work with Habitat for Hope, I have found that we all play a little Yahtzee. We bury all our problems deep down in our hearts, hoping that no one will notice. We are careful to not shake things up for fear our issues will spill out onto the table and shine a negative light on our well-controlled lives.
Problem number one: Despite our illusions and even our best-laid plans, we are not in control. At some point when pain comes through a harsh reality, like a life threatening illness in the life of your child, a light bulb goes off that you are not in control.
Terror, fear, anxiety, depression, and guilt begin to shake you at your core and all the “other” problems in life that you have been so careful as to hide, come bursting out with force for all to see. Your marriage, finances, family dynamics, faith, and relationships are not what you have fooled yourself and others into believing are true about them.
Are you in a painful place where it seems all is lost and your problems are not only numerous but insurmountable? Don’t lose heart!
In every true and good story there is a moment where you believe all is lost, and then suddenly a hero arrives, saving the day. In the story of our lives this is Christ Jesus. He says in the Bible that He disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:3-12). My pastor recently put it this way…when he is pruning, He is loving. Just as the vineyard worker clips away the dead grapes from a vine to ensure its maximum growth, Jesus also brings us through the painful pruning process to bring about TRUE life, joy, and peace.
Thank you for this post. How many times have we rolled the dice and found that the numbers didn’t yield anything that would fit into one of those boxes on the score sheet? We were disappointed and had to settle taking a zero or putting it all under chance. Isn’t it great to know that with Christ that we never have to settle or take a chance?
He knows the end score and lovingly allows us to get there with His grace.