The Game of Life

Have you ever wondered why as a kid, board games seemed so exciting? Maybe they weren't as fun for you as they were for me, I probably enjoyed them more as I didn't play them very regularly, but there is something so simple and timeless about them. Monopoly, Scrabble, Sorry!, Apples to Apples(my favorite through high school) and so many others, they can so easily bring together a group of friends, strangers or family. Looking back into the moments where I've played these games, I've realized something- that my life, no matter how much I wish it would be, cannot be played like the board game version. LIFE, a game of spinning the wheel and getting cards of fate; what you study in school, when you marry, how many children you have, what car you drive, the house you buy, all these things in a game of luck, fate, of Life. But that's not reality is it. I can't roll a dice or spin a wheel or pass Go and collect $200. While I wish I could see in front of me in a exciting display my options of schools, careers, potential husband, children, cities and so on, that would defeat the purpose of living. If I knew exactly what to do, where to be, what to study, then I couldn't discover, I couldn't truly experience, I couldn't learn. It's been hard for me lately, faced with the decisions and confusion of not knowing where my life is going, and that is in reality a beautiful thing. I've realized that if I knew where I'd live, what I'd do and what my days on Earth had in store, I would live a bland, boring and predictable life. Instead, if I focus each day on my faith that God has his perfect plan for me, I can face the challenges of not knowing what I love to do and where I'll be a year from now and instead, I can be grateful for the place I'm in now, the people I've met, and the joy of experiencing life every new day I get. While picking a card may be easier, simpler, less messy, the game of life is not a game at all, and for some very good reasons too. Will I travel more, will I study sociology, become a writer or find a different passion, will I live abroad, "will I and what ifs" are boundless.  I do know however, that the moments ahead of me are full of promise, full of joy and full of hardships, but more importantly, full of purpose. I don't know where my life is going or who I will be beyond who I am today, but knowing that God created the maps for the games of life long before I could roll a dice to play, I can find peace in knowing that his plan is infinitely greater than any board game or chance decision.