Jacks

Sitting in the middle of the concrete slab of a large playground, she pulled a bag from her pocket. With legs crossed Indian style she held the small blue bag in her lap. She grabbed the bag with both hands and began to untie the rope that held it closed. Once untied, she used her fingers to peak inside. With the bag in the palm of one hand, she reached into it with the other hand and pulled a small red bouncy ball from inside. She smirked as she then flipped her wrist down to allow for the contents of the bag to pour out. Tiny silver jacks flooded out from the bag’s opening and onto the flat ground, as if stars falling from the heavens. The metal pieces had six points to it, four that had round tips and two that were pointed. Some of the jacks seemed as if to point their sharp fingers at her, while others were softer and round. As they settled in their places the metal pieces seemed to lean on their sides against the concrete. Some of the jacks were close to her and there were others that were so far away that they almost seemed set apart, unreachable, unattainable. She took the red bouncy ball in her right hand and dropped it. The ball hit the ground and then shot back up into the air. As the ball flew, she reached down to the ground and picked up one of the silver jacks and then caught the red ball with the same hand as it came back down. "Onesies" she said to herself. She threw the ball up in the air again and before it hit the ground the second time, she had picked up two small silver jacks. “Twosies,” she said. Then, “Threesies”. She kept going and kept going, but her hand wasn’t big enough… she couldn’t get them all. She tried and tried, over and over again, never to give up. She wanted it all… but she couldn’t have it.

Then He sat down. She didn’t have to play alone any longer. She handed Him the ball and swiftly in one toss He threw the small red ball up and picked up all of the tiny jacks, all at once. He caught the ball, looked down at His hand, and then extended His arm out with open palm to her. She couldn’t help but smile as she accepted the gift… “Thank you Jesus” she said.

It was only with Him that she could have it all… that she could get it all… that she could win it all.