Saturday afternoons at our kitchen table is where I learned how to play Poker. It wasn’t the fanciest of places but my father patiently taught my sister and I how to play the popular game and what the hands we needed to win were. It took me a moment to understand them all but once I had it down packed, I was constantly hoping for that Royal Flush to beat not only Barbie but most importantly my teacher.
Winning was always nice but nothing beat the feeling of winning with the highest hand possible. Only a master at the game could pull off the best hand in the playbook. My high hand wins were few and far between but as opposed to me, my father’s always ranked high. Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps it was skill or maybe it was simply because he was the teacher and I was the student.
In fact many times he was so sure of his hand that he didn’t hesitate to wager all his chips and declare he was All In.
Losing on the other hand was never fun. Countless times I found myself folding my cards to his, knowing that if I continued I might lose it all. And yet other times I chose to risk it and found out the hard way that his hand was better than mine.
Those afternoons of innocent fun taught me more than I imagined but not exactly about Poker.
All in or Fold? That’s the question.
Is what looks like your best hand yet enough to beat the master instructor?
The perfect plan, the perfect strategy, the perfect idea. You’ve thought it over a million times. No one knows you like you do. Who could possibly have a better hand for your life than you?
A man by the name of Abraham was in this same position. He would have to choose between his own perfect plan of sparing Isaac, the son he waited a hundred years for – his best hand yet- or sacrificing him at the command of G-d – the master instructor’s best hand-.
Abraham chose to fold and as a result of choosing G-d’s hand over his own, he became the father of many nations, as was promised to him.
You see the win is not always in the obvious but rather in the unobvious.
Today I chose to fold. Although I can’t see it, His hand is better than mine. Not because of luck, not because of skill, but simply because he is the teacher and I am the student.
Are you all in or will you fold?
Yes, “the win is not always in the obvious but rather in the unobvious.” So true! Thanks, neighbor, for sharing. So good! Blessings!
Thank you Mari-Anna for stopping by. 🙂
Hi Rosie, stopping by from Purposeful Faith link up. I’m in recovery ministry too so we have more than writing in common. I like your analogy of being all in or folding. Pride often gets the best of us and we go for the win, when the real win is in folding. Thanks for your words.
Hey Debby, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Will definitely check out your blog. Recovery ministry really allows you to see change; I love that! Glad you like the post! 🙂
Loved your analogy. I took a couple ways. If we are trying to “win” over God and get our way, we ALWAYS need to fold. But if He calls us to a specific task, we need to reserve nothing and trust His plan and be “all in.” Thanks!
Hi Karen. You got it! Thanks for the comment.
Rosie, I enjoyed your post. A great metaphor that our wise teacher knows best and winning is trusting His will for my life. Blessings.
Yes, winning is always trusting His will. Hard but not impossible to do and the reward is great! 🙂
It’s not always easy to fold, but when we remember that his hand, his winning is for us…well, that makes it a bit easier to let go. Visiting today from Tell His Story
You are right, remembering that His hand is a win for us makes its easier 🙂
Whew ~ for the strong-willed, releasing the control isn’t easy. Gosh, if we’d just “fold”, eh? Abraham is such a good example of entrusting our lives to the Lord. Enjoyed visiting your blog today via #tellHisstory.
Thanks for stopping by Kristi 🙂 Yes, folding isn’t easy but that’s where the true win is. I appreciate your comment.
Your post are always food for thought and make me think about it a little differently than I normally would. Great post. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
Aw! Thank you Jenny, I appreciate your comment. 🙂