An observation...
I think about my infatuation for poker and my love of the game. And as I sit here typing this blog at midnight after an unsuccessful night at the tables in the digital realm, I examine the idea behind the phrase, "you make the best of the cards life deals you".
In poker (Texas Hold 'Em in particular) you don't just make the best of the cards you're dealt. You see, the game is as much (if not more) about misleading and pushing around the other players as it is about knowing what hands to fold. If you're dealt a 7-2 off-suit (the worst pocket hand in poker), you throw it away every time. That is unless of course you're in the Big Blind and no one has raised pre-flop. You're already pot committed and you can either attempt to buy the hand by moving in with an over-the-top bet, or you can check it to the flop and hope you get lucky.
For those who don't follow poker, you're probably a bit confused by now. You may want to skip this entry as it is going to only get worse for you from here.
So, in this instance, there isn't much you can do with your crap hand. You can either ride it out and hope you hit something good, or you throw it away. When there's money on the table, most (if not all) good poker players muck a 7-2.
The observation is this...if life deals you a 7-2 off-suit, you can either throw it away and grumble about the hand, you can represent something far better (this is where the over-the-top bet comes in), or you can wait it out and see if your hand improves.
Here's the thing. If life is a poker table, then God is the dealer. I know...its a stretch, but bear with me. You see, the Lord doesn't want us to throw away our lives simply because we're unhappy with the way things are. He also doesn't want to see us "buy the pot" by bluffing everyone out, because this would be like keeping people at arm's length and not letting them see the work He can do within us. He just wants us to ride it out and give Him the honor when we make a great hand.
If you don't catch a stellar hand on the Flop, all is not necessarily lost. You may strike 2 pair come the Turn, and even a possible Full-House or Flush by the time the River hits. There is much more strategy to poker than this, but I'm sure you get the idea.
My point is this;
As long as we ride it out, the Dealer can make a winning hand out of just about any cards we're dealt...
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I agree and disagree with you bro. I certainly don't think you should throw your hand away right off the bat. But you have to draw the line somewhere. I you stay for too long, you could eventually be in over you head. This is usually the point of no return, and you may end up losing everything instead of just a little. Are you using this analogy for something specific or just life in general? You can always email me if you need to talk. I hope whatever it is works itself out. Love you bro. Hope to see you soon.
ReplyDeleteBud
My head started swimming at 7-2 off-suit in paragraph 2, but the "word picture" is a good one. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe analogy is a generalization of life at large. The idea was to play out a contrast of how our Dealer can control the game and create something where we are nothing. My intent was to equate life to a poker game while highlighting the specific differences, but I can see now that I wasn't as clear as I could've been. My position is to play poker with the strategy of a pro and hope to hit some luck in the middle, whereas our life in the spiritual realm should be lived with the understanding that our God can do anything for and through us if we're just willing to stick it out. I am not suggesting that it is ever okay to muck the cards life deals you. Quite the contrary; we hold onto what we're dealt and allow the Lord to make a hand for us.
ReplyDelete-shep-