Bunko!

I didn't show up to play bunko last night. I worked the 12-6 shift yesterday at the Creek, my knees hurt and I wanted to be with my husband to share some time with him. So I just didn't show up. I thought about all the excuses I could use to get out of it as I drove home but by the time I pulled up it the drive way I really didn't have one and I really didn't care. Why do we waste so much of our life doing things that just don't grow relationships? In all honesty, I thought being involved with this group of women playing bunko for 2 1/5 hours, once a month would help me make some friends. Have you ever played bunko? In case you haven't, let me paint the picture. Twelve women come together to be divided into 3 groups of 4 and they throw dice as fast as they can, keep score and when someone throws all 6's they yell "BUNKO". Then the loser from the group move on to another group and this goes on for 2 hours. Do you know how much you can find out about someone while your throwing dice and counting? Zero! So why am I doing it? Cuz I find it very hard to give up on anything and I'm just hoping things will change? I know more about the gal's I've helped find clothes at the Creek than I do this group of women.

I think a lot of times this is how we think we can know God and His will for our life. We show up, get divided into age groups and we play like mad to be the winners and then we think "Who was the guy on the stage talking about?" Do you know that the underground church is Asia meets for hours at a time. They sit in a small room with a light bulb hanging from the ceiling, Bibles on their laps with comfy dirt floors to cushion their back sides, no music, no sound system, no entertainment, no heating or air conditioned building. Nothing but the people of God and the word of God. Strangely, it is enough and they learn about God and his love for them. It's called building a relationship. 

Dr Fred says this: In a world marked by broken relationships of one kind or another, this expectations is not surprising. We want intimacy without sacrifice, relationships on our own terms, emotional highs without lows, getting without giving. We want to learn about people while playing bunko. We want the will of God to descend down upon us without any sacrifice from us.  Finding and doing the will of God is a creative, life-giving response to the world about you that flows from a love of God.