Tetris©
Ever played the game Tetris©? Its a fun, annoying, addicting game where you move descending pieces into the puzzle pieces on the bottom of the screen. As you go into the game, the pieces move faster and faster, while you try to keep up placing the pieces where they'll do the least damage, decreasing the height of the wall instead of building the wall all the way to the top, thus ending the game. Like I said, fun, annoying and addicting, and most definitely frustrating.
It occurs to me that our lives mirror Tetris© in many ways. We build a solid base with the blocks that come easy to us...our family, finances, social status, and our faith, not necessarily in that order nor with all of the examples given. We go along, placing each block that comes in the appropriate place, and even though we might get the odd block here or there, we can easily place them off to the side or in a place where they almost fit, and then move right along to the next one. The problem is, life starts moving, throwing us a "cube" when we need a "T," or a "bar" when we need a "Z." As we struggle to make the best of the piece, another one comes down, then another, then another, until we can't keep up. Life is very much like Tetris©.
This year has been one continuous Tetris© game for me. We started off on pretty solid ground, then life threw me a T when I needed an L, and a cube when I needed an S. Mouse and I were good at the start of the year, then we both got bronchitis. I recovered, she did not, and ended up in the hospital for a week in March. When she was released, it was with an oxygen concentrator as her side-kick.
Come Easter Monday, I lost my Best Friend Cousin to cancer, a couple of months later, one of my Uncles. In August, we saw Hurricane Harvey come and devastate Houston, Corpus Christie, Rockport, Beaumont, and other communities. While we thought we got off clean, we found out that we actually "flooded," making our claim of wind damage a moot point. Insurance wouldn't cover it. Then there's the mold. I haven't slept in my own room for almost two months. Mouse is strictly forbidden to go near the room, but little by little we're getting it cleaned up. We were blessed that we had such minimal damage. I look at the news and see the devastation that is still out there here in the Houston area and I thank God for His hand on us, and ask for healing and recovery for those still trying to wade through the whammies Harvey dealt. I have no idea what the remainder of the year holds, I just know that the pieces will come, and we deal with them as best we can.
Just like that game, our lives can quickly become over-whelming. When you have whammy after whammy coming at you, you either work to find a "place" for them, or you give up the fight, let the wall build, and get mad because you got beat. We honestly don't have to do that.
In the Bible, there's example after example of things falling into place for those who are called His. In the beginning, as it were, God made the heavens and the earth. When, on the second day, He called the waters and the dry land together, they were gathered into place. Joseph, even though he was a pain in the pin feathers to his brothers, who promptly sold him into slavery the first chance they got (what sibling hasn't dreamt of doing just that?), eventually met up with him some years later, and when they realized who it was, trembled believing that karma had just come to visit their sorry selves. But God had put their actions, the sale of their brother, to good use. He saved the land of Egypt from the famine (by God's instruction in dreams), as well as the Israelites, who got the land of Goshen to live in.
The road to King of Israel was paved with some pretty rocky stuff for David, and yet, each bump, dip, and hairpin curve was set in place for him to reflect on God's amazing grace, kindness, and love, as well as building his faith. God provided shelter, food, and safety for David and his men as they ran from Saul. He provided wisdom for him when he (David) could have ended Saul's life as he slept.
The list goes on, and on, and on, throughout the entirety of the Bible. Still, as we sit and watch the news, or read the headlines in our newspapers or online, or as our lives play out in living color right before us, we wonder how all of these falling pieces actually fit into the plan that is called our lives.
I can't tell you how many times I've wondered that myself, especially this year. So many times I've seen a monkey wrench thrown at me that messes up the plans I'd had. Plans for a honeymoon in Prague (I've been married for 31 years, and still no honeymoon. Ha, ha!), sidelined by bronchitis, a pacemaker for my mom, and pneumonia for Mouse. Plans to get new tires for my Hubby's car, zapped by needs for medications that are not covered by insurance, a death in the family, and then another one. Still, I have the solid foundation of my faith, the voices of the many prayer warriors out there who step up at a moment's notice to petition and intercede on our behalf. I have the solid foundation of a Church family, who steps in when I can't mess with the drywall in our room. Each piece that I thought was not a good fit, was taken by God, and in Jesus' name, made to fit...each piece perfect for the slot in which it landed.
Not everything is going to be perfect, but they will be used for building the faith, the courage, the strength, the wisdom or the knowledge that it takes to continue onto the next level of our lives. When we build a solid foundation in Christ, and bolster that with faith, we can stand knowing that regardless of what is tossed at us, through faith, we can know that all things will fall into place. God is in our past, here in our present, and in our future. There is nothing that He doesn't know about, nothing takes Him by surprise. When we have faith that He will hold our hand, and guide us through, even though we may not understand an iota of what is going on, we know, by faith, that everything will fall into perfect place...maybe not now, but eventually. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith says, even though I can't see the way things will turn out, I know that God isn't surprised and will provide me with what I need to continue this game called life.
We're human, and we will get grumpy. We will get frustrated, or anxious, or panicky. We will get mad when life throws a "z" instead of a "cube." If we can take a deep breath, step back from the issue, and offer up a prayer for help, the peace that surpasses all understanding, which is through Christ, will be available. The choice for you is, are you going to take it by faith or will you toss it aside or manipulate it to try to fit that awkward piece into place by yourself? The choice will always be yours.
It occurs to me that our lives mirror Tetris© in many ways. We build a solid base with the blocks that come easy to us...our family, finances, social status, and our faith, not necessarily in that order nor with all of the examples given. We go along, placing each block that comes in the appropriate place, and even though we might get the odd block here or there, we can easily place them off to the side or in a place where they almost fit, and then move right along to the next one. The problem is, life starts moving, throwing us a "cube" when we need a "T," or a "bar" when we need a "Z." As we struggle to make the best of the piece, another one comes down, then another, then another, until we can't keep up. Life is very much like Tetris©.
This year has been one continuous Tetris© game for me. We started off on pretty solid ground, then life threw me a T when I needed an L, and a cube when I needed an S. Mouse and I were good at the start of the year, then we both got bronchitis. I recovered, she did not, and ended up in the hospital for a week in March. When she was released, it was with an oxygen concentrator as her side-kick.
Come Easter Monday, I lost my Best Friend Cousin to cancer, a couple of months later, one of my Uncles. In August, we saw Hurricane Harvey come and devastate Houston, Corpus Christie, Rockport, Beaumont, and other communities. While we thought we got off clean, we found out that we actually "flooded," making our claim of wind damage a moot point. Insurance wouldn't cover it. Then there's the mold. I haven't slept in my own room for almost two months. Mouse is strictly forbidden to go near the room, but little by little we're getting it cleaned up. We were blessed that we had such minimal damage. I look at the news and see the devastation that is still out there here in the Houston area and I thank God for His hand on us, and ask for healing and recovery for those still trying to wade through the whammies Harvey dealt. I have no idea what the remainder of the year holds, I just know that the pieces will come, and we deal with them as best we can.
Just like that game, our lives can quickly become over-whelming. When you have whammy after whammy coming at you, you either work to find a "place" for them, or you give up the fight, let the wall build, and get mad because you got beat. We honestly don't have to do that.
In the Bible, there's example after example of things falling into place for those who are called His. In the beginning, as it were, God made the heavens and the earth. When, on the second day, He called the waters and the dry land together, they were gathered into place. Joseph, even though he was a pain in the pin feathers to his brothers, who promptly sold him into slavery the first chance they got (what sibling hasn't dreamt of doing just that?), eventually met up with him some years later, and when they realized who it was, trembled believing that karma had just come to visit their sorry selves. But God had put their actions, the sale of their brother, to good use. He saved the land of Egypt from the famine (by God's instruction in dreams), as well as the Israelites, who got the land of Goshen to live in.
The road to King of Israel was paved with some pretty rocky stuff for David, and yet, each bump, dip, and hairpin curve was set in place for him to reflect on God's amazing grace, kindness, and love, as well as building his faith. God provided shelter, food, and safety for David and his men as they ran from Saul. He provided wisdom for him when he (David) could have ended Saul's life as he slept.
The list goes on, and on, and on, throughout the entirety of the Bible. Still, as we sit and watch the news, or read the headlines in our newspapers or online, or as our lives play out in living color right before us, we wonder how all of these falling pieces actually fit into the plan that is called our lives.
I can't tell you how many times I've wondered that myself, especially this year. So many times I've seen a monkey wrench thrown at me that messes up the plans I'd had. Plans for a honeymoon in Prague (I've been married for 31 years, and still no honeymoon. Ha, ha!), sidelined by bronchitis, a pacemaker for my mom, and pneumonia for Mouse. Plans to get new tires for my Hubby's car, zapped by needs for medications that are not covered by insurance, a death in the family, and then another one. Still, I have the solid foundation of my faith, the voices of the many prayer warriors out there who step up at a moment's notice to petition and intercede on our behalf. I have the solid foundation of a Church family, who steps in when I can't mess with the drywall in our room. Each piece that I thought was not a good fit, was taken by God, and in Jesus' name, made to fit...each piece perfect for the slot in which it landed.
Not everything is going to be perfect, but they will be used for building the faith, the courage, the strength, the wisdom or the knowledge that it takes to continue onto the next level of our lives. When we build a solid foundation in Christ, and bolster that with faith, we can stand knowing that regardless of what is tossed at us, through faith, we can know that all things will fall into place. God is in our past, here in our present, and in our future. There is nothing that He doesn't know about, nothing takes Him by surprise. When we have faith that He will hold our hand, and guide us through, even though we may not understand an iota of what is going on, we know, by faith, that everything will fall into perfect place...maybe not now, but eventually. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith says, even though I can't see the way things will turn out, I know that God isn't surprised and will provide me with what I need to continue this game called life.
We're human, and we will get grumpy. We will get frustrated, or anxious, or panicky. We will get mad when life throws a "z" instead of a "cube." If we can take a deep breath, step back from the issue, and offer up a prayer for help, the peace that surpasses all understanding, which is through Christ, will be available. The choice for you is, are you going to take it by faith or will you toss it aside or manipulate it to try to fit that awkward piece into place by yourself? The choice will always be yours.
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