Thursday 10 October 2019

FROZEN FREE FALL DEVOTIONAL...

...or life lessons I learnt from a cellphone gaming app!


Dear Diary,

Yes, believe it or not, I really did learn some valuable Christian life lessons from a gaming app very similar to "Candy Crush"! 

The WORD of God or the bible is probably the no. 1 way to hear from God, but it is not the ONLY way. Recently, someone asked me, "How do you hear from God and what do you do in a quiet time?" and I honestly had to answer that sometimes I do almost nothing. I just quietly ponder and in my mind I tell God about my troubles and sometimes, when my mind is struggling to focus, I even play a little cellphone game. That's when I noticed that I am starting to pick up some valuable lessons, even from a cellphone gaming app. Impossible? I don't think so. Because God is limitless and He will find a way to talk to you, even if you think you can't hear Him, all you have to do is be open to receive His messages.

Sometime in 2015 I joined the "Candy Crush craze" by playing a very similar game called "Frozen Free Fall". I had crystals instead of candy, but otherwise it is much of the same game. Just playing this game, I started to get such clear messages or what I like to call "little teachings from God" about my life as a mom, that I decided to take screen shots and turn them into a 30-day devotional, which I then posted on Instagram. But these messages are not just for me, they might be useful for anyone, so if you would like to view them, even if you don't have Instagram on your phone, simply click on this link - Frozen Free Fall Devotional .

Now, what are some of the lessons I learnt from this game? I can't print 30 messages here, that would make this blog post too long, but here are some:

1. Candy or gems always fall from the top down. We can't really make them happen, but we can receive them and do something with them. The game actually expects us to do something with them. Isn't it like that with God's blessings for us? Blessings are for us to enjoy, but they are also for us to share with others and I bet God loves it when we pass them on just like I am passing on various precious items in the game.

2. When I first started playing this game, I thought my score depended entirely on ME and how well I played the game, but that is not true! My score actually largely depends on what's coming from above. The bible teaches us that God determines our steps, even if we sometimes struggle to accept this fact. I have certainly tried to determine my own steps in the past, but I realise now how much I depend on Him and I am glad that so often he rescues me!



https://www.facebook.com/sue.peters.writer/
I try to do well, but when I fail, he rescues me!

3. I can become very serious when I play this game and I constantly try to "figure it out" in order to get the perfect score, but you know what? That's when I usually stop having fun! My lesson here? It's ok to ask questions and learn, but too much knowledge or pondering can really become a damper in life! So, now I try to remind myself every now and then to stop thinking and just allow myself to have some fun.

4. You see, this game is totally a matter of TEAMWORK between getting good gems and me making good moves with them and isn't life kind of the same? We live by God's grace and by the blessings that come our way and we need to do something with what we are given. Loving action is so much more important than knowledge!

5. I noticed that the best way to play and win this game is to do EXACTLY what the level asks me to do and not to get distracted by other stuff that is also going on in the game. The game is actually almost conditioned to let me pass if I concentrate on the target and don't get side tracked by trying to score extra points. Hm. That, once again, sounds familiar, doesn't it? I have often failed as a mom (or wife) when I let myself become distracted by completely unnecessary or untimely tasks! Have you ever had such moments? I certainly have. The kind of moments where I did not concentrate on my target for the day, but got distracted by TV or something else and I didn't focus on the most important chore at hand and then dinner was overcooked or late for example or I ended up being late when picking up my child from school. Thankfully, I don't have so many "fails" anymore, but they do still happen every now and then. 

6. Sometimes, when I am about to fail a level, some amazing gems fall from the top and the whole level just kind of works itself out and I pass! That is usually an amazing experience! You might ask yourself now, "How does that part of the game relate to my life?" Well, God's Grace works in many ways and He also sometimes rescues me when I am about to fail. I have had days, for example, when I have been in a total jam because it's been such a busy day and I would have struggled to still go and make dinner, but my husband then unexpectedly (and unknowingly may I add) surprised me with an sms saying that he would like to take us out for dinner...voilà! Saved by God's grace and loving provision! Isn't that an amazing experience?!

7. There are many different levels in these kind of games and they start very easy at first. You actually have to be careful that you don't become too pre-conditioned by the early levels as the tasks and demands change quite a bit later in the game. You can't really play the later levels the same way you played the first ones. Each level has its own goal for you to focus on. That reminded me of how easy things are for kids in playschool or Grade 1 but how much harder it gets later in life, especially once you are a parent! We can become very pre-conditioned by our childhood years and I realise now that it's important to break free from some of the lies that I believed in the past, because if I don't I won't be able to fully enjoy the "level" I am on now. Every stage in life gets a bit more difficult, but the rewards are becoming greater also. 

Bonus tools are here to help us...but
we must remember to USE THEM!
8. Some levels actually get so difficult that I just want to give up, but we mustn't! The bible promises that we will reap a harvest if we do not give up! But I do understand and feel for every super-tired mom or parent that comes close to burnout by the ever increasing demands that are put on us by our super busy lives these days! Some levels in my game are equally overwhelming at first, but have you noticed that the game makes provision for these moments? It's called BONUS TOOLS. Bonus tools are extra "super powers" that help us to pass a level by removing some unwanted gems or doing some other stuff on our behalf. Do we have bonus tools in life? Yes we do!! They are called "Granny" or "friends"!! Relatives and friends that offer to come over and help us with anything are such super powers. They can, for example, help a mother with a newborn baby remove some of the unwanted dirt in the house or simply look after the baby for a little while, so that the exhausted mom can have a little "timeout" - a quiet time perhaps or just a much needed nap! I have noticed though that I tend to hoard my bonus tools in the game instead of using them and in a way that's bad, because I make the game harder for myself than it needs to be. Perhaps this is exactly what we do sometimes, especially as moms? We know about family and friends that have offered help, but we are reluctant to accept their offer. Why? Perhaps it is pride, but whatever the reason, it is important to remember to USE THEM not hoard them! We need to gracefully accept help these days if we do not want to burn out!

9. Oh, and perhaps just one last point. At the end of every level that I pass in "Frozen Free Fall" I get a comment like "Great Job", "Excellent" or "Amazing" and sometimes I thrive on these kind of reassurances. But I have also learnt that perfection is not really necessary in order to pass these levels. What's important, is to keep my eye on a level's target and nothing else. Much in the same way, God doesn't expect perfection from us, so if you are inclined towards being a perfectionist, like me, then please remember to cut yourself some slack sometimes! Because God certainly wants us to!

So that's some of the lessons I learnt from a simple gaming app. In summary, I could probably say that it's all about living life in COMPLETE TEAMWORK with Him and the blessings He is giving us each day. "Candy Crush" or "Frozen Free Fall" have taught me to ENJOY my life and not be so serious about it and that perhaps not every day will work out perfectly but that's ok, because tomorrow I get to try again, even if I have to repeat a level. What I really need to do, is to focus on what is most important each day, focus on a target that I feel God would approve of and to remember to enjoy a little bit of sunshine despite all the problems that might be surrounding me. 

He helps me to enjoy life even in tough times!

I hope this inspired my readers enough to go look at my FrozenFreeFallDevotional account on Instagram and read some of my other learnings. I also hope that it inspired them to believe that God will use anything to teach us a new way of life, if we let Him. Even games. All we need to do is...spend a few minutes with Him!


I WISH EVERYONE MANY BLESSED AND FUN QUIET TIMES THIS WEEK!


Frozen Free Fall Devotional


https://www.facebook.com/sue.peters.writer/
Put Jesus in the centre and 
the wolves can't harm you!

(Whether you like this blog post or not, you are welcome to leave me a comment but I prefer the nice ones!) 
(All photos are my own.)

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