I’ve been playing Spider Solitaire on the computer. The object of Spider Solitaire is to remove cards from play in the fewest moves possible. You line up runs of cards from King through Ace in the same suit to remove them. At higher difficulty settings, you can also alternate red and black suits to line up, turn over, and move cards—but you still need runs to remove cards.
I was doing pretty well at the Beginner Level with only one suit of cards, so I decided to switch to the Intermediate Level using two suits of cards thinking that I was ready for a bigger challenge. Oh Baby! What a difference that made. Now instead of winning regularly, I only win about 10% of the time.
There is a lot of moving cards back and forth in order to line up the cards in one suit. It takes a lot of mental focus to see the possibilities beyond the next move. Frankly, sometimes I just stare at the cards and cannot see any possible moves left for me to do. I become convinced that I’ve run out of options and that I am about to lose the game. There seems to be no hope and no alternatives. I was about to concede the game when I noticed a “Hint” button. I pushed it and it gave me a suggested next move. It will keep giving suggestions until you don’t have any more possible moves, then it will suggest that you turn the next cards over off of the deck. The “Hint” button opened my eyes to see all sorts of possibilities that I had overlooked before. I was amazed at what I had failed to see before the cards flashed on the screen. Despite my best effort and search, I was missing so much.
Then I began playing Spider on my cell phone too. But I found out that there is no “Hint”button! Now when I think that I’ve played all of my moves and have nowhere else to turn, I wonder what I am missing. I also found that I tend to lose games more on the phone. The Hint button gives me an extra percentage of wins so without it, I fail more regularly.
One day I decided to “Google” Spider Solitaire Strategy. I found a number of helpful hints. One of them suggested using the “Undo” button liberally if you have multiple options of play. It runs up the number of moves you take and lowers your total score, but you can explore which stack of cards is the most helpful to play and can increase the odds of you winning the game.
Of course, with all of that, I still don’t win that often. When I do it is a cause to celebrate. I also find the challenge of winning rather addicting. I find myself saying, “I’ll just play one more game” several times in a row after losing.
This leads me to ponder God’s wisdom verses my own limited insight. Now I consider myself a reasonably intelligent man. I’ve got a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Divinity degree and have done some coursework at the doctorate level. I have an interest in many topics and stay abreast of the news. While I am not an expert in anything, I am conversant with most technology. I think I have a good head on my shoulders and have a reasonable measure of common sense. And yet…
I was doing pretty well at the Beginner Level with only one suit of cards, so I decided to switch to the Intermediate Level using two suits of cards thinking that I was ready for a bigger challenge. Oh Baby! What a difference that made. Now instead of winning regularly, I only win about 10% of the time.
There is a lot of moving cards back and forth in order to line up the cards in one suit. It takes a lot of mental focus to see the possibilities beyond the next move. Frankly, sometimes I just stare at the cards and cannot see any possible moves left for me to do. I become convinced that I’ve run out of options and that I am about to lose the game. There seems to be no hope and no alternatives. I was about to concede the game when I noticed a “Hint” button. I pushed it and it gave me a suggested next move. It will keep giving suggestions until you don’t have any more possible moves, then it will suggest that you turn the next cards over off of the deck. The “Hint” button opened my eyes to see all sorts of possibilities that I had overlooked before. I was amazed at what I had failed to see before the cards flashed on the screen. Despite my best effort and search, I was missing so much.
Then I began playing Spider on my cell phone too. But I found out that there is no “Hint”button! Now when I think that I’ve played all of my moves and have nowhere else to turn, I wonder what I am missing. I also found that I tend to lose games more on the phone. The Hint button gives me an extra percentage of wins so without it, I fail more regularly.
One day I decided to “Google” Spider Solitaire Strategy. I found a number of helpful hints. One of them suggested using the “Undo” button liberally if you have multiple options of play. It runs up the number of moves you take and lowers your total score, but you can explore which stack of cards is the most helpful to play and can increase the odds of you winning the game.
Of course, with all of that, I still don’t win that often. When I do it is a cause to celebrate. I also find the challenge of winning rather addicting. I find myself saying, “I’ll just play one more game” several times in a row after losing.
This leads me to ponder God’s wisdom verses my own limited insight. Now I consider myself a reasonably intelligent man. I’ve got a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Divinity degree and have done some coursework at the doctorate level. I have an interest in many topics and stay abreast of the news. While I am not an expert in anything, I am conversant with most technology. I think I have a good head on my shoulders and have a reasonable measure of common sense. And yet…
And yet…I am often puzzled by the things God does and says. I sometimes struggle accepting His plan as best for my life. I want to do things my way. My way seems easier…more fun…better. His ways seem less desirable…harder…not pleasant. And yet I find that sometimes my plans don’t turn out so well; the things I choose don’t go well. I find that following my own plans get me in trouble.
When I ponder the fact that God is omniscient—He knows all things, and that He is all-wise—He knows what is best, and most importantly, that He loves us and wants what is best for us…why do I even question His plans and wisdom?
Yes, my approach to life is similar to my playing Spider Solitaire. I pick and choose what seems best to me. Occasionally, I wish that I could hit an “Undo” button and try it over again or that I somehow could be given hints for my next move. But humanly speaking life doesn’t work like that.
That is why I am grateful for my relationship to Him. I am working at trusting Him more fully and following Him more closely.
Here are three bible verses to ponder:
"For my thoughtsare not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2
Then I saw all that God has done.No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it. Eccesiastes 8:17
From now on, every time I play Spider Solitaire I am going to remind myself that I should ALWAYS follow God’s directions and never choose to use my own best guess because life is one game that I never want to lose!
When I ponder the fact that God is omniscient—He knows all things, and that He is all-wise—He knows what is best, and most importantly, that He loves us and wants what is best for us…why do I even question His plans and wisdom?
Yes, my approach to life is similar to my playing Spider Solitaire. I pick and choose what seems best to me. Occasionally, I wish that I could hit an “Undo” button and try it over again or that I somehow could be given hints for my next move. But humanly speaking life doesn’t work like that.
That is why I am grateful for my relationship to Him. I am working at trusting Him more fully and following Him more closely.
Here are three bible verses to ponder:
"For my thoughtsare not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2
Then I saw all that God has done.No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it. Eccesiastes 8:17
From now on, every time I play Spider Solitaire I am going to remind myself that I should ALWAYS follow God’s directions and never choose to use my own best guess because life is one game that I never want to lose!
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