Friday Fiction: Reversals of Fortune

Friday Fiction

This week's Friday Fiction is being hosted over at Joanne Sher's wonderful site, "An Open Book." Be sure to drop by there to see what other works of fiction have been posted this week.

This piece is something I just wrote last week, for the weekly FaithWriters Challenge. The given topic was "The Game of Life." It points out how easily we can fool ourselves with regard to who or what we really love...and who or what we don't. If you'd like to read more on this subject matter, when you're through here you'll want to check out "The World in My Hand?"

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Reversals of Fortune

A toddling child, a loving wife
He could have dreamed suburban dreams
And gathered 'round him all that seems
To satisfy, like worldly wealth,
And lived for comfort, ease and health.
But no, he threw it all away
"I'll be no fool," he used to say.
"I'll give up what I cannot keep..."
Soon wife and child in heartache weep.
His blood is spilled, dreams unfulfilled
His idealistic young heart stilled.
Slain by the ones he'd hoped to save
Laid in an obscure jungle grave.
He took a chance, he threw the dice,
Lost everything in sacrifice,
Called "loser" in the Game of Life.

Another man with children, wife
Inspired himself with higher dreams
Of all that glitters, all that gleams.
Lead millions in the cult of self
His books lined every bookstore shelf.
"Jesus died to line your way
With roses and with gold," he'd say.
"Eternal life? It comes dirt cheap!
Get all you want, and pile it deep!
Get wealth, be thrilled, get all you've willed!
To pamper us our Lord was killed!"
The crowds adored him, how they raved!
His earthly streets with gold were paved.
He took a chance, he threw the dice,
And made his world comfy and nice,
Called "winner" in the Game of Life.

The Bridegroom calls his bride, his wife,
"Come here to Me, the Father deems
It's time to fulfill all our dreams!
Once poverty, now Heaven's wealth
Once illness, now eternal health."
Lovers of God, in bright array
Step into everlasting day.
On earth their hearts to Jesus thrilled
Desire for earthly gain had chilled.
They loved their Lord, from sin were saved
God's Spirit ruled how they behaved.
They took a chance, but with no dice
They followed Christ to Paradise.
All winners in the Game of Life.

The Judge now calls the sons of strife
"What's happened now to all your dreams?
To all your idol-making schemes?
Your hearts were welded to your wealth
Your greed consumed your souls by stealth.
Not with Christ, with gold you filled
Your hearts; rejecting Life you killed
Yourselves, to Christ you did not give
Your souls, in Him you would not live.
Feigned love for Me was just a way
To garner wealth in jars of clay.
You would not let my goodness woo you
Depart from me, I never knew you."

You who love this world, think twice!
Trust Christ, not Earth, for Paradise.

It really is no game, this life.


For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Mat 16:25)

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Luke 16:13)

(Photos from stock.xchng by brkic87 and hisks)