Shuffle and Deal

Hi there, everybody!

When you read the title of this blog, you're probably thinking of a card game, right? Well, that's a good guess, but it's not quite what this blog is about. Have you ever sat through a long card game where the dealer of the cards keeps shuffling the cards, mixing them over and over again before finally dealing them? Well, whether you have or have not, has it ever occurred to you how similar that action is to our own lives? Many times, when life hands us a deck of cards, we shuffle them until we are satisfied with our choices, and then we deal. Each card may represent a problem, hardship, or something that we don't know how to handle. We shuffle over and over, trying to sort out our feelings and problems until we've come up with the correct tactic to deal them by. However, sometimes we can have trouble dealing with our problems, emotions, feelings, etc, and we are stuck with an unorganized deck that we keep shuffling, not knowing when or how to deal them out. Now, I'm not an expert in this matter, but I can tell you that we usually have two choices: we can try to deal them out to ourselves and try to play the game alone, as in a game of solitaire, or we can deal them to our friends and loved ones-those who want to play-and let them help us along. More often than not, when a person plays a game of solitaire, they lose instead of win. The same goes for us. We can't deal all our cards alone all the time, sometimes, we need some help. How do I deal my cards? You may ask. How do I deal with things that are new or complicated? What do I do when tears finally stream down my face for no real apparent reason? What exactly does that mean? Well, those questions I can't really give you amazing answers to, because I still don't quite know myself. However, I can tell you this: you will never be alone. If all else fails, you've always got God on your side. He'll look over your shoulder and whisper the cards to deal and how to play the game. He will guide you. You may have the support of at least one family member, but if you don't, you always have your friends. Even if, especially in the case of a child, it is an imaginary friend. Just one true caring friend can make the biggest difference in someone's life. And, of course, the more you have, the better it can get. So remember, when life hands you a big stack of cards, just try to deal as best you can, having faith that you'll get through it. There are no promises of being unscathed, but you'll get through. Just don't be afraid to ask for a little help. Don't be afraid to let your friends and family reach out and offer their hand in the hard and long card game of life. Even if you may not realize it, there is someone out there somewhere who cares about you. Bye for now.

Warmest and Best Wishes and Support,

Jessica