A New Game

First, I understand life is not a game and this is over simplification but the images have stuck with me for a number of days now so I thought I would share.

Have you ever been lost trying to learn a new game or have someone explain the rules but later found they left out important information? A couple of weeks ago, my daughter had friends over to spend the night. After they ate and settled in for the evening, they wanted to do something new. So out of the game closet came an old board game I have loved for years – Scotland Yard. I will not bore you with all the specifics of the game but to put it simply it is a little complex and requires a lengthy set of rules. There is no way to look at the pieces and the game board and understand how it all works together.

It was interesting to watch the girls work through the progression of learning to play. First they got the board and pieces out and started to sort items and put things on the board but were completely lost in just a few seconds. Next they found the rules but reading the rules was complicated and would take too long, so they ask me how to play. After explaining the basic rules as best I could, they headed off to try again. Within a couple of turns they started to argue about what they thought they were suppose to be doing. So I finally sat down and played a couple of games with them. Taking time to show them what options there were with each move. Suddenly it all began to make sense and they began to enjoy the game. Soon everyone was laughing and having a great time as they tried to out smart each other and as they moved their piece around places in London. At one point they were laughing so hard that orange drink even found its way out of a nose. Finally they were experiencing what the game inventor had envisioned in the beginning – enjoyment of the interaction of the players.

The girls really gave me a view of how I feel like we (me specifically) approach life at times. First, jump in and get as many of the games pieces as possible. Spend money and time on things that were not really important to success of life because the definition of success is not understood or easily apparent. Then plod along, moving things around from here to there but nothing really seems to make sense.

Finally one day, we start to think more about are we doing it the right way. We consider the Inventor and the rules he wrote for us in the Bible. It seems complicated and too long to read. Do we really want to spend all the time it takes to understand the rules or wouldn’t it be easier to find others who have played before? They can tell what they understand and that should speed up the process. Soon armed with someone else’s knowledge choices are made that line up with the way the rules were explained but success doesn’t come as planned. We begin to argue with each other about what the instructions really mean. “No, I think you have to move this before you can do that.” “No, this other rule says you have to do that before you move this.” We get all caught up in the rules and forget the game. Frustration breaks out and many want to quit or go off and play the game with only the people who see the rules the same way.

However, we miss our biggest chance to be successful. In this game, we have a direct connection to the Creator. The one who designed the true success and significance that are found in our game. The one who actually came and played it perfectly for us so we would learn from His example. He alone has laid out the proper strategy. He calls us to slow down, quit worrying about our position on the board and just enjoy the game with Him. He shows us how to complete each move as it was designed. Explains the good and bad options before us. We have a choice, play how he suggests or go off on our own.

There really is no reason for failure. What we perceive as winning or loosing is not really the goal of this game. It is our relationship with Him and our relationship with others. The true reason for the game is how we spend the time with each other around the board not what happens in the game itself.