The Gambler can teach a lot about grace...

...I know, you're probably certain I am completely certifiable at this point. But really - I think the gambler can.

A few days ago, my boss and I were flipping youtube links at each other. I think somehow in the process, one of us caught Kenny Rogers in the middle. I don't know that either of us intended to bring him into our session, but somehow he appeared. I was reaquainted with the song "The Gambler" sung by Kenny Rogers and I started thinking about the words.

"You got to know when to hold 'em"
You have to know when to keep a hold of things in your life. Things that may be difficult for you to think about giving up. Things that mean a lot to you. Sometimes in life, those things most familiar and comforting to us become more of a liability than a blessing. THAT'S when..

"You got to know when to fold 'em"
As hard as it might be to think about, it might be time to cut your losses and just toss them away, they just aren't working for you right now. They might be great later - you can always get a chance again to bring them back into the game - but for now, fold 'em.

"You gotta know when to walk away, and know when to run"
There are times you wave and take your time saying goodbye to friends, places and things in your life and then there are times you're best served to put your reeboks on and RUN AWAY as fast as you can - not look behind you - just look in front of you - at the wide and incredible world ahead.

Whenever there's a big question involving a big change in your life, I think you can size up the situation by thinking like THE GAMBLER. Know when to keep things, know when to give them up. Know when to walk away slowly, know when to leave them behind as fast as you can.

Here's hoping we all remember how important TIMING is to a situation in our lives. Timing really IS everything. Especially when GRACE is concerned. If you know when to exit a situation gracefully, WOW, you've won half the battle! Now you just need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and decide if you should wear your sandles or your sneakers. :)