Wondering about my Wanderings

winning and losing

At times it can be difficult to be a culture of winning and losing. In a Christian understanding being a loser is not such a big deal in circumstances, "you have to lose your life to find it." There is also quite a bit of language of being a soul winner and winning victories for Jesus. The think the truth is somewhere in between.

I am discovering that winning and losing can be the difference between thinking you are a somebody or a nobody. I was reflecting of the story of Balaam and his Donkey yesterday. The donkey did not do what he wanted and he nearly beat the donkey to death. The donkey asks the question, "Why are you beating me?" A lot of game players might ask the same question. I win to the extent no one wants to play and lose with the same result, who wants to play with him. What is the place in between? In our culture you tend to win or lose and the donkey is always crying out about the beatings. The end result of the story saves the day. Balaam's eyes are opened. He sees the dangers that lurk. I think the middle ground is getting to the place where you are willing to learn, even if it means I might be branded a winner by some and a loser by others. Being beaten or beating up is just an excuse for feeling better than the donkey. After all I would not want the same to me.

I sit here wondering what I will do next. I know I will look for God and envision God at work in the lives of myself and others. The question is not so much what would Jesus do, which seems to be self effacing, who needs me when they can have Jesus? It is rather to see God and work and entering into it learning as you go. Maybe overtime the beatings will not be so bad and we will all see for ourselves that every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.