A royal flush is the best hand that you can be dealt in a game of poker( and for the record, I’ve never played for money! Pure entertainment purposes only). A royal flush means you are winner. The worst hand that you can possibly be dealt has a 7 and a 2 off suit in it. The probability of you getting a straight flush or anything worthwhile is very slim. That’s a crappy hand.
We all know those people that appear to have been dealt the “Royal Flush” of life. They always seem to be on that mountain. Every prayer seems answered. They have the prosperity. The 2.5 kids, 2 dogs, 1 hamster, 3 goldfish, and even in-laws they love. The husband is healthy and handsome. The wife has the perfect figure and is involved in every church function.
Then there’s the group that was dealt a “pair”. Not a great hand, but not a crappy hand either. You’ve seen their original struggles. You’ve seen God answer their prayers. You’ve prayed for these people. You’re delighted at seeing them get approved for adoption. You rejoice alongside them when the husband has been healed.
What happens when you’ve been dealt that crappy hand? Maybe you were molested as a child. Your bedrooms in your home are empty because of infertility. Your wife is battling cancer. Maybe you have a child addicted to prescription pain pills from a legitimate injury many years ago. You don’t see God answering your prayers. Does He even hear you?
Are you such a bad person, that you’ve been dealt that hand as punishment? Does God not love you enough? Do you not love him enough? Did you not pray hard enough? Is it becuase you had that evil thought last night?
You’ve met Megan in my earlier blogs if you don’t know us personally. Megan is the person that I can take my mask off and have these deep discussions with. Some are her struggles. Some are mine. Some are yours. We are always searching. She will randomly send me a text that might say ” If you knew you were going to die on Friday, how would you spend it?” My instant reply of “On my knees, praising God for taking me home” sends her blowing up my phone with more questions.
Let me explain. I’m ready to go. On eagles wings, I’m ready to soar when God is ready for me. My time on earth is the only hell I will ever know. Does it mean that I want to leave my kids and husband? Absolutely not. This is NOT my home. Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.
This is NOT home. That’s the way that I’ve accepted the hand I was dealt. Many can look at my life and say I was dealt a crappy hand. I’ve learned and am still learning that I wasn’t “dealt” anything. This is God’s journey. I’m just along for the ride. He wrote my story. Each page has twists and turns, dips and curves. One thing I do know, It’s all for HIS glory. Let me stop and say that I do struggle. And I do have to remind myself of who holds the pen. Constantly.
Megan struggles. I see the pain in her eyes every time a baby is within arms reach. I don’t know why God hasn’t answered her prayers. I wish He would. Like pronto! But I do know it will be for His glory in whatever happens.
It’s in the valleys that we learn and know that God is real. We can’t grow as well sitting in that air-conditioned “Royal Flush” image that many are guilty of putting on. My bible says that “when” the trials come, not “if”. We ALL have trials and a story of God’s love to share.
My random text to Megan recently was “How do you know God is real?”. I can’t remember her exact answer but I remember thinking “she gets it!”.
We may fail him daily, but He’ll never fail us. Now I have 2 questions for you. It’s Thursday. If you knew that Sunday was going to be your last day on earth, how would you spend your time between now and then?
2nd question…. How do you KNOW God is real?
Seriously, I would love to see your replies. You can post them on this website or through a Facebook reply.
Thanks for reading,
Kim
Praying With My Eyes Wide Open 
Sometimes I struggle really bad with the hand I’ve been dealt. Than I realize that a lot (ok MOST) of the things that have happened in my life have been because I wasn’t doing what I’m supposed to be doing!! I want to be in control.
If I were to know I was dying Sunday, I would take more time in these next few days to talk with God. Thank Him for the many blessings He has given. I would spend most of that time with my girls, let my friends and family know how very much I love them.
How I know God is REAL!!?? Oh wow! So many ways. How can anyone look at the sky and the grass and not know that it was perfectly created?? Blue sky, white clouds, green grass, colorful flowers. Do people honestly believe that happened by chance?? Y’all have heard my story about God allowing me to see Preston literally come back to life. That’s proof for me that not only does He exist, but that He is still caring for us.
Another way:
I have always been a Daddy’s Girl. My daddy was my hero! He loved me and I knew it. I was precious to him. We had a close relationship, however, I lived 500 miles away from him and was in an abusive relationship so I had not seen him in 7 years. My daughter was 9 months old in June 1996. I talked to my daddy at least once every two weeks on the phone. He knew I was with an older man, but I’d never told him about the abuse. My partner and I were getting along pretty well, and one day he came home, out of the blue asked me if I wanted to go to Mississippi to visit my Daddy so he could meet our daughter. I didn’t hesitate to say yes, but I told him that if I told my dad I was coming, I WOULD go with or without his blessing. So we scheduled it. A week later we were there, we spend so much time with Daddy and he even took us to his office and introduced us to his coworkers. He was on top of the world. And we all had a great time!!! My Daddy looked better than he ever had!!! He had lost weight, he was the picture of health even though he’d been battling depression and diabetes. I was shocked and how great he looked. The last morning of our visit, we rode out to the lock and dam and took a lot of pictures and said our goodbyes. As we were leaving, Daddy was in his truck in front of our car. He had to stop for a stop sign at a busy highway. He was waiting to turn left. I jumped out of the passenger seat for one last hug. Never knowing that I’d never see him again. Two weeks later I got the call that my Daddy had died. God worked that out!! God put it on my partners heart to take me to see my Daddy. I would have never had the courage to ask if we could go visit, and I’d have never forgiven myself if he had died and I hadn’t seen him in that many years. I’ve always known that was Gods work. 💞
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Wow! What beautiful story! Thank you so much for sharing and for simply being my friend, song with Preston. You’ll never know how much of a blessing you are. Of all the time Preston spent in the hospital and how you were there that exact day and time the he woke up from his coma…. God had a reason for that. I don’t know if it was to encourage you, or strengthen your own relationship with God. But I know it was God.
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