All In. A Note From Jan.

Beautiful, warm Springtime Sunday afternoon. Good Harbor Beach parking lot lures cars for a few more weeks without fees.  Folks eager to walkaway winter. Snow mountains gone. Rocky outcroppings and ocean the same, as far as I can tell.

Can’t imagine my Baptist Daddy ever using a poker game in his sermon like Patrick did today. But it worked. Maybe because I picked up a little from hearing Kenny Rogers sing, “The Gambler” and because Patrick’s a good preacher. ‘You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walkaway, Know when to run.” Now, try getting that song out of your head!

Patrick talked about God’s great gamble. Us, really. God putting it all on the table from the beginning of “the game.” God calling  “all in,” no need to see any of our hands. He knew. God putting “all His chips” on the table.. .no bluffing, no poker face on God. God risking all.

Feels odd, this language.  I grew up hearing cards called “the devil’s bible.”  We never played anything but Old Maids (can’t say why that didn’t bother any one!). Once I got to college, we added Uno. We play lots of games now. Some involve cards. :)

Maggie, sitting beside me in the pew, leaned over to ask, “Momo, you taking notes again?!” Yes. Still learning what it means to be “all in.” To live pro-Christ instead of anti-Christ. Still learning how to love this God and His family.

Patrick’s been teaching a series on prayer every Thursday night, using a book by Reuben Job. He reminded us this morning of Job’s Three Simple Rules:

1. Do no harm
2. Do good
3. Stay in love with God

That’s God’s big gamble. Trust. Trusting us to “do no harm, to do good and to keep on loving Him” and the world He loves so much.

Sometimes the challenge is so tough, I want to walk away. Wish it were as simple as it seems for those who walkaway winter along Good Harbor Beach. Then I get that Jud nudge from more than 51 years of living with him and his radical, consistent faith. I sense his challenge. “You in?” Time to lay my speck of faith on the table once more. “All in!”