“The Gambler” [Reflections On Charles H. Parkhurst (ed) Portraits And Principles of The World's Great Men And Women, N.Y. : Springfield:The King-Richardson Co. 1899 - #93/100]
You, Jesus, bet Your life on us,
So I don’t see quite what’s the fuss –
A parent gambles having kids;
And merchant gambles sale-day rids –Him of the junk that no-one wants;
A bully gambles that his taunts
Will cause the weaker to back down,
Else he must hit with no-one ’round.For we’re not stupid – play the odds –
What’s known as trust’s reserved for God
All else is risk-assessment, so
In gambling we do what we know.We know the game is stacked to house,
So how’s that differ from the louse
Who uses power at every turn
To one more fast-buck gain return?So why is gambling such a draw?
Because it sells us hope, that all
Will work out for some lucky bloke;
But woe betide if that game’s broke –For even-odds amongst the crew
Is good enough – it has to do,
Because “The man” can load the game –
So long as play’s for us the same.Lord, I’m the biggest gambler ’round,
But when a “set-up” I have found,
I don’t forgive, forget that much –
More “Wait” to even out the “Touch”.It matters not the context there,
So long as it’s for players fair;
For that’s the way the world’s set up,
And to my mind I play enough –To spot a scam, then weed them out
(Security for games – the louts
Who keep insisting they’re above
The rules – they’re not) – the way of love.“Well, there you have it, Stu, My man –
Where evil lies like mud, folks can
Get stuck – you free them (I through you),
Then deal with evil – much like glue”.Lord, I’d not seen that bigger pix
(It’s “Sticky mud” which You would fix);
I see it’s quite abundant – now
The question rising in me’s “How?”.“Stu, that’s the part I’m working on
Through you; naivety then gone,
Will leave you trained, aware, and keen,
To do “Ka-boom” – My action seen.“So just hang on, your course soon ends,
Then on My Spirit you’ll depend
For guidance, timing, placement-choice,
As I, through you, express My voice.“For words and pictures have ’till now
Been how I’ve acted – don’t allow
Yourself to sucker into fights,
The way the world “Sets things to rights”.For they’re outside the Kingdom-way –
Think what they like, then have their say;
So ’bide in Me, and smarten up,
In silence, best bluff is no bluff.”Okay Lord thanks for this.
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