The Solitaire Game

I have a Solitaire game on my Palm Pilot that is the Solitaire game from Hell! I have it set on Vegas rules and there is a flaw in the way it deals the deck. Regardless of how many cards remain to be flipped (1,2 or 3) when the last of the remaining three cards is flipped before rotating the deck, it starts the next round with the last card that was showing before the deck turned over. It makes it almost impossible to beat. Sometimes I wonder why I even play it. But deep down I know why I keep on playing.

The first reason is that I enjoy a good challenge, especially if the deck is stacked against me. If something is easily won then it isn’t worth playing for. I quickly become bored with anything I can easily beat.

The second reason is that it reminds me so much of life. We play and play and play, each time starting over thinking; “This time I can do it, this time I will win”, and once in a while we do. We step up to the plate time after time and swing with all our might trying to knock it out of the park… but we hardly ever hit the ball, let alone knock it out of the park.

Many people are perfectly content to play life safe. They rarely if ever step out on a limb or take a chance that may cost them something, and will never roll the dice on what can cost them everything. They sit around saying; “I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots.” Just Kidding… I’m not knocking the idea of playing it a little safe, but I get bored on the dock. I would much rather take a chance with the sharks and go swimming every day trying to find the ship rather than wait for it to come to me. I have many times rolled the dice to start a new business or try something different occupationally. I have never been content with status quo and would absolutely die if I was stuck in a routine job, regardless of how much it paid. I have always been confident in my abilities and I am not afraid to get up and start over if I land on my back. But just like the game of solitaire on my Palm Pilot, I've had to get up off my back and start over more than a few times… sometimes I won big, sometimes I just got by and yes sometimes I landed flat on my back. But that’s what makes life interesting.

I firmly believe that you haven’t failed until you quit trying and the only thing worse than losing is quitting… the second worse thing is not even trying.

In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells us a story about a rich man who goes on a trip and entrusts some of his money with his servants. His desire is for them to put the money to work so that when he comes back they will return his money with interest. All of the servants did this but one. And the one that didn’t do it, the one that buried it in the dirt and played the ultimate game of ‘playing it safe’… he cursed. I know Jesus was using this parable as an illustration of our lives and how we invest or squander them, but just as in the illustration the servants had to risk something to get a return. Our lives are the same way… we can end the same way we began and live our life with out any risk, but you will never do or be anything great. Or, we can take a chance and try and do something fantastic… and if we are doing it for the right reasons we can let God worry about the outcome. He never said that we wouldn’t fall. He said He would be there to catch us when we do.

I really like what Helen Keller said:

Security is a man made illusion. No where in Gods creation can security be found. The animals must depend upon Gods provision daily, and He intends for us to as well. The only security He offers is where we will spend eternity, everything else is a lesson.
Helen Keller (paraphrased)

God doesn’t give us what we can handle; God helps us handle what we are given!