As those of us in the U.S. observe Memorial Day, there’s also celebration—cookouts, time with family and friends, enjoying the day off, etc. Some may ask “Why? Isn’t this a time to remember and mourn the loss of those who gave their lives serving our country?”

Yes, it is such a time. But it’s also a time to remember that they didn’t serve or give their lives in vain. They did it for good reason. Most of the time, for the evident victory—we won the war. More recently, the victory has seemed less obvious (such as in Vietnam and Afghanistan where it appears they and others gave and did so much for “nothing”).

But even then, there’s victory—in the sense that they demonstrated loyalty, valor, and willingness to do whatever it took for noble causes, such as freedom. That victory is one of great character and values shown well.

It is with this in mind that I urge us to notice the victory— and celebrate it, no matter how obscure it may be.

A few years ago, some friends gave us a game for Christmas, called “Sequence”.  In this game, each player has 7 playing cards, with matching playing card pictures on a board.  Going in turn, players place their chips, designated by color, on a picture matching one of their cards.  So, for example, if someone has the queen of diamonds in their hand, they can place their chip on that picture.  Then they discard that card and draw a new one from the deck.  The first player to successfully place five chips in a row, vertical, horizontal, or diagonal, wins the game.  Of course, this involves strategy as well as luck.  To add excitement and fun (or perhaps frustration to the player whose goal gets blocked), one-eyed Jacks act as “spoilers”, with the sole function of removing someone else’s chip.  A player holding such a Jack usually uses it when another player has 4 chips in a row, strategically plucking out one of the middle chips!  Two-eyed Jacks act as wild-cards, able to place anywhere as a substitute for another card the player doesn’t have but needs.  Two playing cards and corresponding pictures exist for every number and suit (for example, two 10 of hearts).  So no player can be sure of any particular space.

Life can look a lot like that game.  Just when we think we’re about to finally reach our particular goal, a “spoiler” comes along and messes us up!  That “one-eyed Jack” can be a circumstance, illness, someone else who doesn’t want us to “win” (like a jealous co-worker), or the source of all that—the enemy of our souls.  They cut us out at gut-level.  But the difference between “Sequence” and life for those who walk in sequence to (follow) the Lord, is that He always makes a way where there is no way and refills those “bombed out” areas in our lives. (Is. 43:16-19).  He becomes our “two-eyed Jack”, enabling us to occupy the spaces we need to, no matter what “cards” we’re missing,

What if someone else is holding the cards we need and they occupy that space so as to block us from reaching our goals?  Again that “someone else” could be a human adversary or circumstances, although in the end we know who our real, ultimate, enemy is (Satan) (Eph. 6:12). In that case, the Lord Himself becomes our “one-eyed Jack”, spoiling the enemy’s attempt to block us from achieving victory.

Of course, this all assumes that our goals align with glorifying and growing in Him (2 Thes.1:11-12).

And, for the actual game of Sequence, players are hopefully not each other’s enemies, “out to get” each other, even though we do play strategically to win!  And, luck does play a part in it.

One evening, my husband, son, and I were playing, and the deck had dwindled as we each placed our chips, discarded that card, and drew another card as an option for our next turn.  We laughed a lot as we got into both row-building and blocking each other with our respective color-chips, cards, “removers”, and a wild-card here and there.  Then, just after another defensive-block play, I noticed something– my husband had already won, probably at least 4 rounds earlier!  There in front of us, lay a diagonal blue row of chips, in the midst of a nearly-full board!  “Look!”, I declared, “Dad already won a while ago!  Congratulations, dad!”  Somehow, in the midst of all our defensive moves and blocks, we’d all failed to notice someone’s victory.  “Can you believe it?”, I asked, as we all laughed about the way we’d kept going, totally unaware of that 5-blue row.  “We were so busy doing defense, we didn’t see that!”  Which made me think–  life often happens like this–  we’re so busy worrying about defending ourselves against problems, possible future troubles, and the devil himself, we fail to notice the victory!

Yes, we need to be on guard (1 Pet. 5:8-9). Yes, we need to resist the devil Jas. 4:7).  Yes, we need to plan and act strategically.  But, don’t lose sight of the victory!  Scripture abounds with promises that God wins, is winning, has won, will win in the end, and gives victory to those that seek and love Him!  (Ps. 108:13; Jn. 16:33, and many more).

Also, we don’t want to forget the verse after the one on resisting the devil—the one that commands us to “draw near to God”, first, so as to be able to resist the devil (Jas. 4:8). When we do draw near to Him, He’ll not only give us the victory, He’ll show us the victory.  Ask Him for eyes to see and walk in it—our blue-chip winning rows, designed, well-placed, and provided by our Sovereign Lord.