Scrabble!

I’m sitting here playing a game of Scrabble. We all know it’s about the letters. I’m rotating them and moving them around just trying to spell a “good” word. I want a good word with the most points to win. I must use all of my letters somewhere to create a new, high-point word. It cannot stand on its own on the board. It must touch or connect with another word. I must build upon that foundation which has been played in the past.

Some of us have the same goals in life - we want to have all the good tiles to be a winner. We want every letter on our rack to line up in order so it spells a long, high point word. We want a word we can play so that people look at us in admiration and say “Wow! that’s an awesome word!” We want to be successful! Ultimately, our goal is to win and win big!

Letter tiles are the fundamental building blocks in a word. If you have more difficult, less common letters, you can spell higher point words but if you have common letters, R, S, T, L, you have a better chance of using all 7 letters and acquiring a 50 point bonus. Either way, if you have a variety of letters, you can move forward from turn to turn. You will touch other lives along the way.

Our response to every event and circumstance in our lives is a fundamental building block for our testimony. How we respond to our circumstances (letter tiles) makes us stronger or weaker. Every circumstance builds on our previous foundation. Our words should cause people to say “wow, what a great word or testimony of God!” They should be evidence of determination and striving to move forward in life from whatever you’re dealt.

Sometimes the letters in your life don’t make sense and you’re stuck without a word. You have a Q, Z, X, Y, P, K and J and no vowels! What are you supposed to do with that ??You’re not seeing a word no matter how hard you try. You’re not seeing a testimony of God working in your life.

Maybe you need to trade in some of your letters. You need to trade those things in that are stopping you from moving forward with a good word. Trade in your weak letters-sorrow, shame, regret, discouragement, unforgiveness. Trade them in and receive new letters. Remember though, sometimes the worst, scariest looking letters, prove to be amazing in the long run of the game. Just like the worst, scariest, looking circumstances we go through turn out to be the most amazing testimonies in the game of life.

Sometimes, even after receiving new letters, you will need to sit patiently and wait. It’s not time for you to play anything. Wait your turn. Take your time. The longer you sit and study those letters, eventually a word will come to you. God is faithful to help you see what He wants you to see. Then you can respond with a word.

The word that’s worth the most points isn’t always the word that’s worth the most points in the long run. Often the ordinary words are worth more than the fancy letters. God can use a common ordinary day to spell great things. Sometimes the events or circumstances we expect the least from show up as a “wow!” word with a powerful testimony! “ I can do all this through Christ, who gives me strength.” Phil. 4:13

We must never be discouraged by the letters we were dealt by God, or the ones we chose. Every tile has incredible potential, provided that it is patiently and wisely used. “ Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and he will establish your plans..” Prov. 16:3

When we commit ourselves completely to God, the letters played produce a far greater sum than each individual tile. Let us not look to the scores tallied by the other players of the game but look to the creator of all words. Be a winner!