Barb’s three girls and their husbands regularly get together at our house to play Mexican dominos. It is a relaxed time of visiting with one another catching up on current events of each one’s life and whatever else. The particular set of white dominos we have (which reminds me, I might go shopping for another set today), offers the double blank with an ever slightly grayish cast of color, depending on the light and the angle you are looking at it. This is not normal, and it is not good. Since the double blank is the highest value of domino in the game, if you get stuck with it at the end of the round, you have 50 points against you. So, when everybody chooses their dominos for the round, everybody is being very careful to not choose the double blank. However, sometimes it is chosen for a hand because, like I said, sometimes the light at that moment and the angle you are looking at the dominos allows you to choose it without meaning to. Plus, since the color difference is so slight, I think your eyes get “color weary”, and all the dominos start looking slightly grey. Anyway, it can be frustrating sometimes, and we have not gathered to be frustrated, so I might make the investment for a new set, hopefully with the colors of the dominos all being exactly the same. Then, the whole group of players will all have the same chance to either get the double blank or not without the careful picking and choosing.
Life has its grey dominos. There are people, events, situations, and places that can be 50 points against us in a big way. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray daily, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” and to “watch” (Matthew 6:13; 24:42). Sometimes the angle we look at things and the cast of the light and being color weary can be leading us to make choices that will count against us if not properly dealt with. The value of walking closely with the Lord Jesus, feeding on his Word and drinking of his Spirit daily, is that he helps us see things clearly and make proper choices. Then, if we have chosen poorly, he can help us play out that hand according to his way and his wisdom. It all goes back to daily dependence on him. If we employ his help by committing our life to him and establishing a relationship with him on a daily basis, then we have that daily assistance that he offers. He gave his life for us to be freed from sin and to walk with him. He allowed his body to be broken so we could be healed and made whole in every way. In a daily communion with him, remembering what he has done helps us play out the game of life avoiding the pitfalls of the double blank. The key is daily Word and Spirit.
