You deal the cards.

I walked into the old-fashioned music store.

The store owner eyed me from the back, and gave me a warm welcome.

I slowly took in all the relics of music history.

I skimmed through old records.

I stood back and took in all the old pianos, shiny saxophones, and an endless line of guitars on the wall.

I asked the owner,

“Did you open this place from the ground up?”

He confirmed he was the founder and owner.

He then asked me,

“So, what are you doing here on the central coast of California?”

I sheepishly answered with a voice lacking confidence,

“Well, I'm in college here. Just trying to play the cards I’ve been dealt. ”

I think he saw my slight frown and heard self-defeat in my answer.

He immediately corrected me firmly,

“No, no, no! Always remember in life:

"You deal the cards.”

I’ve lived too many days of my past feeling more like a loser than a winner.

More times than I’d like to admit, I’ve defined myself by my failures and past mistakes.

I have wasted the precious breath God's given me, blowing up black pity party balloons. I've played solitaire with nothing but “Victim” cards.

That simple phrase that the music store owner said to me that day really helped plant a seed of hope in my mind.

Maybe I can take ownership of my mistakes and bounce back from them? Perhaps one day I will see a champ and not a chump when I look in the mirror? Maybe there is hope for change and brighter days ahead?

Verses To Digest:

“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

Philippians 1:6

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10

Your next steps:

Deal your cards today.

In other words, don’t settle for what’s currently your “lot” in life.

Don’t defeat your days by saying,

“Well, this is just how I am and this won’t ever change.”

There are certain God-Size things out of your control, yes.

But I have learned, you’re not allowed to own your wins, unless you’re willing to own your losses.

Turn every one of those losses into lessons.

You will start playing with fresh cards and you can keep making progress to where and who you need to be.

God’s given you some great things to walk in. Don't get caught up in staying stuck in the past. You might miss out on the present and future.

You're a work in progress, but remember Who is working on you.

Deal your cards, let the chips fall/

And trust Him with the outcome of it all/

All love,

Lowery