Monday, October 24, 2011

Tetris


            I love the game Tetris. It was one of the only games on my mom’s phone, so I would play it over and over and over. I actually got pretty good. I finally got an “okay” instead of a “you stink and should go back to kindergarten to learn your shapes!” If any of you are thinking, “Wow, she got an okay! All I’ve ever gotten is an ‘I’m sorry, we cannot tell you your score at this time. My super-computer doesn’t count that low.’” you should know that I am free to sign autographs any day of the week.
            Even though it is a fun game, it doesn’t make any sense. The point is to catch the shapes that the computer is dropping in such a way that they form a line and disappear.
            It is kind of like our lives. We are the computer, the shapes are our sins, and God is catching our sin to make it disappear. He is wiping our sins out of existence if we drop them and ask Him to wipe them away.
What if the computer decided to keep all of the shapes for itself? If the shapes weren’t just dots on a screen, but took up actual space, the computer would be bogged down with all of the shapes that it had stored. The computer would eventually crash because all of its space was used for storing the shapes.
What if we decided to keep all of our sin? If we said, “God, I can take care of it. I’m big and smart enough!” and kept all of the sin stored up inside, our conscience would bug us to death about every little thing we had done. Finally, when our sins became too great for us to hold on to, we would either crash or cry out to God for help.
God is standing with His arms open wide asking us to give Him our sins and troubles. He is ready to take our sins and make them disappear.
I could easily say, “I don’t feel like catching shapes today, so I’ll read a book instead.” God could easily say, “These humans don’t get it! I’m ready to take their sins, but they just hold on to them and call them ‘My precious’ over and over again. I’m done.” And He could easily walk away and leave us to suffer. But, thankfully, He doesn’t. He stands there and coaxes us to give Him all of the rotten things in our lives.
I only have the Demo version of Tetris on my mom’s phone. We didn’t think that is was worth the dollar to own it. However, God doesn’t just own the Demo version. He bought the full version with His blood! He paid a lot to catch our sins for us. We should let Him.
Every one of us has some sin that we’re holding on to. Let it go. Every one of us is stupid enough to think that we should keep our sins to ourselves and not allow God to dispose of them. All we need to do is ask. He is standing there waiting for us to drop our sins and give Him control of our lives.
Anyone want to play Tetris with me?



Camels, Needles, and Rich Men


I am a packrat. I have kept everything that I have ever received. Every letter, pencil, and constellation. I just recently threw out all of my McDonald’s toys. I don’t consider myself rich, but I have grown very attached to my things. If a robber were to come, miraculously find some worth in my possessions, and steal something I would be heartbroken.
            In Matthew, it says that there was a rich man who came to Jesus and asked what he had to do to get eternal life. Jesus answered that he must keep the commandments. Commandments such as do not steal, murder, commit adultery, or lie. You must honor your parents and love your neighbor as yourself. The rich man said that he had kept all of the commandments, but that he was still missing something. In the NIV version of the Bible, Jesus answered:
            “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
            The man couldn’t do it! The rich man walked away and left eternal life behind, just so that he could keep his gold and fancy foods. Jesus continued and said:
            “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
            Wow. Would I be able to give up all of my belongings? My yo-yos, erasers, and deer bones? I don’t know if I would be able to give up all of the things that I have come to love. Luckily, Jesus continued by saying:
            “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
            I don’t have to worry about not being able to give up my trinkets and do-dads. If I ask God to help me let go, He will help me. This doesn’t just apply to letters and yo-yos. It applies to everything. Your house, computer, friends, family. In order to enter the Kingdom of God, you must give God your parents, children, and best friends.
            “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
            We are all rich. We all have a family and a Heavenly Father who loves us. In Little House on the Prairie Pa learns that a person is rich not just with possessions, but with people as well. If that is true, we are all extremely rich because of all of the people in our life. We are especially rich in God’s love. But, in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must give up all of the people in our lives. We must give them to God.
            Are you willing to give your money, family, and future vacation to the moon to God? If not, you will never receive eternal life. For it will be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for you to enter the Kingdom of God. But you don’t have to do it alone. You can ask for God to help you give up everything that is dear to you!
            “With God all things are possible.”