Settlers Champs

The Settlers of Catan is by far my favorite board game.  I'm sure you all hear me talk about it all the time and if you are a Mary Wash student, I'm sure you play it with me all the time.

Steve, Matt, and me playing in OBX over the summer

From the moment I learned how to play--which was about a year ago--I was on this crazy winning streak.  It was kind of hilarious to me because sometimes we would sit down to play and everyone would try to target me but I would still end victoriously hahaha.  But seriously, it was rare if anyone ever beat me.  Some of this is due to strategy.  Am I on a variety of resources and numbers and ports?  Am I trading with the right people?  Am I playing the development cards at the right time.

But sometimes it's out of my control.  The dice never seem to roll the numbers that I need and all I keep thinking is "C'monnnn.  Just a brick.  Just let me get one little brick.  Please someone trade with me!"

Sometimes we play on teams.  Smiling at one another when things are going well and laughing out loud when things are looking rather bleak--trying to make it seem like you both don't care that you're about to lose.  Jess and I somehow established ourselves as the undefeated team during the fall retreat.  Unbeatable.  Unstoppable.  Laughing in hysterics every time a game ended and we were the winners.

Team Jelyssa! (J'Lyssa? J'Lyss? idk...)

But since then our winning streak has been unpredictable.  We win some and lose some-- afraid that maybe we are just... average?

Even if you're playing on teams, combining strategies, keeping each other awake with coffee, and laughing to refrain from screaming when the odds are against you, you can still lose.  You can still make bad decisions.  Trade with the wrong people.  Place settlements on less-than-ideal spots.  Or maybe even forget that you're playing for a bit of time and end up having one teammate (Ahem... Jess...) doing crunches in the middle of the room and the other teammate too tired to even remember the goal of the game... but alas that is another story for another day.

Sometimes you decide to risk it.  The pair of you decide to keep more than seven cards in your hand for another round.  And every time someone rolls the dice you hold your breath, afraid to see the dreaded seven.  You are playing with fire.

And then it always happens.  Right when you're almost free and it is your turn, you roll a seven and kiss half of your cards goodbye.  There goes the resources you needed to build that last city.  There goes winning the game.

At least for this turn.
At least for this game.

Because there's always the game after this one (because let's be real... I can't sit down and just play one game).  There's always the next day or the next week.  There are always second chances to build settlements where the harvest might be more plenty, to make better trades, to use your resources instead of risking it and playing with fire.

Lamentations 3:22-23--
²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.

Sometimes we don't make the best decisions, even when we're in community and on a team and working together and being discipled.  Sometimes we are knowingly playing with fire with the understanding that at any moment we could lose half of what's important to us.  But Jesus always wants us to come back to Him.  Jesus yearns for us to keep playing.

Sometimes we brag about how we are unable to be defeated, only to then have our egos bruised and our worlds shaken.  We realize that we actually can't do anything on our own. As soon as we think we can control our own destinies we end up waiting around with too many resources and praying that no one will roll a seven.

It all goes back to our identities being in Jesus.  It's good to play on teams and strengthen relationships.  It's good to do well.  But it's also important that we don't get wrapped up in thinking that we are the Settlers Champs.

Because when I lose and mess up and make the wrong decisions, I know that I am still a child of Jesus.  And He loves me and will give me another chance.  My identity is in Him.  And cannot be rocked.  Ever.