Does God Play Croquet?

My first post, and I'm already starting off with a pretty obscure-seeming topic. But, truthfully, I think that is the whole point of having this blog. To type whatever it is that might come to mind for me, or whatever it is that God seems to want to make a point of. Sometimes it's just time to go, and hold nothing back, and for me this is one of those times. So, without further ado, I give you God and croquet.

It seems like in life we all have goals that we set, hoops that we have to jump through, and plans that we want to fulfill. We're always encouraged to dream of the future, and to reach that end goal of success. If you want, you could compare this to a game of croquet. Like life, in croquet you have a certain number of hoops that you have to pass through before you can make it to the end, and the goal is to be the first person to make it through all of those hoops and to come out ahead of everyone else.

Sometimes, however, we set so many goals and aim for so many arches that we completely miss the path that God has laid out for us. We're so set on getting to the end as quickly as possible, that we bypass all of those little things that we don't see as important. I find that this is often the point where God steps in and says, "Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a second. Back up. You completely missed that hoop that I set up for you, but don't worry; I never run out of swings."

Like any game of croquet, you're bound to overshoot the hoop that you're aiming for, but no matter how many times you miss, you are always able to go back. And do you know what the great thing is? God will always be with you in every swing, cheering you on and encouraging you whether you hit or miss. He is patient, and he has all of eternity to wait for you to get through all of the hoops He has set up for you.

Now, I know what you're thinking, (or I can at least guess at what I would be thinking). Why not just cheat? No one will notice if I skip a hoop here or there.

I can tell you of at least one person who will know, however, and in the end He's the one that matters the most. If you know any seriously competitive people, (or are one yourself), then you know that winning after cheating isn't really like winning at all. No matter how many times you have to go backwards, it makes it all worth it when you finally get through that last hoop and hit that peg, knowing that you did it fairly, and according to a set path that was greater than your own.

Let's face it, no one really likes to lose, but we have also have to keep in mind one very important fact: even when we mess up and seem to be constantly falling behind, as long as we keep trying and trust that God will lead us on the right path, in the end we all win.