Candy Crush!

     There is a game that is all the rage.  Those that play it loudly proclaim, “I am hooked on Candy Crush!”  I must say, that I am on my way to the same addiction.  Besides loving my sugary candies, I do like a good challenge, and Candy Crush provides just that.  It all started with a desire to find something to keep me occupied.  I was also eager to see what kind of game everyone was talking about and finding so enticing.    I fell into it hook, line, and sinker, although, it took a while to realize some of the clues needed to help win the game.    The more I play it, the more I enjoy the thrill of hearing that little widget announce, “Sweet! Delicious! Devine! Tasty!” and then, oh yes, “Candy Crush!” 

     As of right now, I am sitting under “A Friendly Shade” anxiously and  impatiently waiting for time to be added so I can once again delve into a new level of Candy Crush.  You see, I used up my “lives” – (time) because I was frantically and unsuccessfully trying to crush the jellies.  

      This being said, there is nothing wrong with the game; but it is merely symbolism for the way people get drawn into situations in which we never thought we would find ourselves.  We may lose our focus while looking for a thrill; something to take away the boredom.  We follow the trend of what everyone else is doing.  Sad, but true.  Even when we find ourselves wandering off course, we often continue on down the same path, unwilling to change directions.  

     My question is, “What could we do differently to keep life from being boring? What can we do to get us back on track once we have veered off into the wrong direction? How do we regain our focus?”    Hmmm! Just as in the game of Candy Crush, it takes baby steps to get back into the game of life.  It takes doing it “one day at a time.”  We may need to find something daily that sparks an interest; something rewarding, just as in Candy Crush when we are rewarded by getting four candy colors in a row; when we can use the one  candy that sparkles with all the different colors to crush many other candies.  Besides finding something that sparks an interest and something rewarding, we need to replace our hunger for fulfillment with something good in order to crush the loneliness that led us down the wrong path in first place.  What is more filling than God Himself and His Word? He is the Higher Power in life that keeps us on the right track. 

     Even if we find that spark of interest, there are still times when life gets frantic and stressful. It is then we need to “HALT: Don’t get too hungry, too angry, too lonely, or too tired.”   With God in our lives, we can eliminate our hunger and be filled, we will be less tempted to allow anger to rob us of our blessings, we will have a constant companion to prevent loneliness, and we can rest in the fullness of His promises.

     It is awesome that at the end of the day, when I account for my daily activity, I know my slip-ups and mishaps are forgiven; they are crushed through God's grace.  This is so “Sweet! Delicious! Devine! Tasty!”  It’s a win! Oh yes, “CANDY CRUSH!!!”