All In
It has always been a little frustrating for me to play Pitch with my dad, and with my uncles, too, for that matter. Dad and his brothers taught me the game while I was still in grade school. I remember sitting around one of several dining room tables,with all the leaves in, playing "call for your partner," or some other variation of ten point Pitch, with my aunts and uncles and cousins, as well as Mom and Dad and, often, a grandparent or two. We laughed together repeatedly, and groaned over and over at each other's blunders and misfortunes. It was a game we loved and, sometimes, loved to hate.
When it came to the game of Pitch, I discovered early on that my Dad and his brothers were always "all in." Each one of them would routinely bid more than their hands could support, hoping that a partner would have whatever was needed to help them win. No matter what I bid, someone would out-bid me. I might have the better hand, but they had more guts. They had learned to bid high to increase their chances of winning. Unfortunately, when they didn't win big, they lost even bigger, taking hapless partners with them.
When I stop to think about it, I realize that a family card game is probably the best possible venue for taking risks. After all, it's just a game. The outcome doesn't really matter much in the whole scheme of things.
And, what an opportunity games provide for learning lifelong lessons. Think about how much better it is to risk and lose at an innocent family card game than, say, at some questionable business venture.
Yet, some important things are worth any amount of risk. Marriage is inherently risky, as is raising children. Adoption is fraught with uncertainty. Teaching can be an unpredictable occupation, but construction workers and truck drivers and doctors take risks every day, too. Without a certain amount of risk, we must settle for mediocrity, at best. Sometimes, in life, when we need to achieve great things, it is just necessary to be "all in."
That's an easy thing to say when I am sitting in front of my computer, playing a game of Hearts. No one knows or cares if I risk it all and win big, or if I risk too much and lose everything. It's just a card game. The outcome doesn't really matter.
But, in life, risk matters tremendously.
This week, we have all seen the graphic images online, and in print, of those Egyptian Coptic Christians, kneeling in a line on the Libyan shore, with an equal number of masked assassins lined up right behind them, swords in hand, ready to slay all of them simply because they refused to convert to Islam. Those orange-clad young men were given a way to escape certain death; all they had to do was recant their Christian faith. Yet, not even one of them was willing to do it. They were "all in."
I read a comment from someone who asked why their God didn't step in to prevent their deaths. It's a good question. I can think of several reasons why--to increase awareness in the western world, to show what committed Christian faith looks like, to prod world leaders to take a stronger stand against such terrorism. I could try to second guess God all day. Regardless, I can't help but think that many people are not seeing the whole picture. As the Apostle Paul said, in Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Those brave young men were confident that death meant immediate eternal life with Jesus for each of them! For them, a horrific event became a win-win situation.
Most of us are not required to risk our earthly lives for our Christian faith. But such martyrdom seems to be happening more and more frequently around the world. I suppose it could happen here someday, too. We shudder to even think about it. But, if we were forced to make such a choice, what would we do? Are we willing to take that risk?
What about you? Are you "all in" for Christ?
When it came to the game of Pitch, I discovered early on that my Dad and his brothers were always "all in." Each one of them would routinely bid more than their hands could support, hoping that a partner would have whatever was needed to help them win. No matter what I bid, someone would out-bid me. I might have the better hand, but they had more guts. They had learned to bid high to increase their chances of winning. Unfortunately, when they didn't win big, they lost even bigger, taking hapless partners with them.
When I stop to think about it, I realize that a family card game is probably the best possible venue for taking risks. After all, it's just a game. The outcome doesn't really matter much in the whole scheme of things.
And, what an opportunity games provide for learning lifelong lessons. Think about how much better it is to risk and lose at an innocent family card game than, say, at some questionable business venture.
Yet, some important things are worth any amount of risk. Marriage is inherently risky, as is raising children. Adoption is fraught with uncertainty. Teaching can be an unpredictable occupation, but construction workers and truck drivers and doctors take risks every day, too. Without a certain amount of risk, we must settle for mediocrity, at best. Sometimes, in life, when we need to achieve great things, it is just necessary to be "all in."
That's an easy thing to say when I am sitting in front of my computer, playing a game of Hearts. No one knows or cares if I risk it all and win big, or if I risk too much and lose everything. It's just a card game. The outcome doesn't really matter.
But, in life, risk matters tremendously.
This week, we have all seen the graphic images online, and in print, of those Egyptian Coptic Christians, kneeling in a line on the Libyan shore, with an equal number of masked assassins lined up right behind them, swords in hand, ready to slay all of them simply because they refused to convert to Islam. Those orange-clad young men were given a way to escape certain death; all they had to do was recant their Christian faith. Yet, not even one of them was willing to do it. They were "all in."
I read a comment from someone who asked why their God didn't step in to prevent their deaths. It's a good question. I can think of several reasons why--to increase awareness in the western world, to show what committed Christian faith looks like, to prod world leaders to take a stronger stand against such terrorism. I could try to second guess God all day. Regardless, I can't help but think that many people are not seeing the whole picture. As the Apostle Paul said, in Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Those brave young men were confident that death meant immediate eternal life with Jesus for each of them! For them, a horrific event became a win-win situation.
Most of us are not required to risk our earthly lives for our Christian faith. But such martyrdom seems to be happening more and more frequently around the world. I suppose it could happen here someday, too. We shudder to even think about it. But, if we were forced to make such a choice, what would we do? Are we willing to take that risk?
What about you? Are you "all in" for Christ?
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