INSPIRASUNS

Over the past year or so, I’ve watched the Mahjong craze grow and grow. It’s all over social media; many of my friends have taken up the game, and at our church on Wednesdays, there is a faithful crowd that enjoys almost three hours of play. Even in our small community, there is a group that plays every Sunday.

Each week I stop by the tables on Wednesday, or if I’m at the pool on a Sunday, I’ll say hi to the ladies flipping tiles. Everyone always asks, “Do you play?” I’ve watched for a long time but just figured it was too difficult to understand. Looking at that little card filled with letters, numbers, colors, ya, no way I’m going to understand that one.

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine encouraged me to take up the game. She has recently learned and said she is, quite frankly, obsessed with it. So much so that she took some online courses and worked herself up to become an instructor. She gave me the name of a woman she recommended, who has her own YouTube channel, and encouraged me to watch some of her training videos.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I pulled up that channel and noticed that she had a slew of training videos, all sorted by skill level. Beginner to advanced, organized nicely. What did I have to lose? I hit play on the Mahjong 101 series. The videos were easy to understand and were not very long. Within two hours, I had a grasp of the basics.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve stopped in on the Wednesday group and have taken a little more time to watch the hands. Last week, there was an empty spot at a table, and the group encouraged me to play a game. Oh boy, I wasn’t sure about it. Out came a card for me, and the next thing I knew, I was stacking tiles in front of me. I have to tell you, by the end of that game, I was hooked. I got it; I understood the craze. It is a fun game and one that challenges your mind.

So why the ramblings this morning about this ever-popular game? Well, when I asked Father what I could share this morning, the game and the journey of learning it came popping into my head. It might be a stretch, but I think He wants me to share that you’re never too old to learn something new. Keep pursuing new things, be inquisitive, keep working your mind, and keep growing. Another thing about this popular game, it brings people together. Perfect strangers gather in places to play the game. Maybe that too is God at work 🙂 .

Just a fun little blog this morning about a game I highly recommend, even though I’m a total newbie. So, if you haven’t yet been intrigued enough to flip tiles, I say give it a try. Keep learning, keep pursuing new things, keep growing, and along the way, share the love of Christ.

Have a good day, friends!

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.