P is for the Ping Pong Parable

It was to be the ping pong match of the century. Both players had risen up the ranks of the competition by beating their opponents, time and time again. The day came when they were to face each other in the championship match. They both had practiced for hours and hours every day. They both wanted to win. They were both undefeated. In talent, dedication, skill and commitment they were equally matched. The only difference was where and how they practiced.

The elder contestant, Eli, was very poor. He only had an uneven wooden table to practice on. It wasn't even a ping pong table. It was just a table he had made. He placed it up against a wall and practiced by hitting the ball over a pretend net into the equally rough and uneven wall.

The other man, Justin, was rich. He could afford the finest tables. In fact, he made sure that he had several of the best ping pong tables, paddles and ping pong balls available. The nets on the tables were manned by computers that automatically adjusted the nets to the right height and tension. The young man then hired people to practice with him. He hired the best players that he had beat in previous matches. He kept beating them and Justin believed he could beat anyone.

On game day the crowds filled the room to watch the much anticipated match. Others watched via television monitors in the hallway or from home. Many had traveled from great distances to come to this one match.

About 1/2 hour before the match was set to start, a clown appeared before the audience. He did his antics and made them all laugh. After he finished his performance, he shouted to the audience, "Who do you think will win?"

Half of the crowd shouted Eli, the elder while the other half shouted Justin. The clown slinked off into the shadows. Meanwhile, the crowd became louder and angrier and several fights ensued. The police were called in to quiet the crowd but once the two players picked up their paddles, the crowd was silent.

The match began and ended quickly, who do you think won?

Originally, I was going to say that Eli won. The premise being that his using an uneven table, inferior products etc. prepared him to face his biggest challenges, to anticipate the unexpected problems that always occur in a match and I was going to suggest that in our lives too, it is the adversities and trials that prepare us to win our biggest battles.

But then as I was writing the parable, the clown showed up. "Who is the clown?" I asked myself. "I don't know. Maybe, he is Eli or Justin trying to sway the crowd. Maybe he is just a hired hand to entertain."

Then I considered the clown's actions. He came in pretending to be a good guy. He made fun of others and himself. He made the crowd laugh but his ulterior motive was to provoke the crowd and to cause division. Then I recognized the clown for who he was.

So let me ask the last question again. "Who do you think won the ping pong championship?"

The answer is, it doesn't matter.

You see, the game is like the battle between God and Satan for each of us. God has already won the big game. But the game is still being played in our lives. Sometimes we are in the crowd and sometimes we are the players. Temptations, fears, taunts, hope and love, for example, are volleyed back and forth across the table and even into the crowd every day.

What do you yell when the clown asks who do you think will win? God has already won so the real question is "Do you listen to the clowns in your life or do you listen to God?"

Peace!
JulieD

P.S. If you are wondering about the missing "N" and "O" posts for the A-Z challenge-I have them written but they don't feel finished yet-One is too long and one is just not right. lol