Domino effect!

I have always been fascinated by people who can make amazing things out of dominoes. Each domino is placed with such precise thought, it cannot just be placed anywhere, it needs to be placed in the right spot, with the right amount of spacing between the next domino.

Have you ever seen someone turn an entire room into a domino sensation?

It is amazing how with just the touch of the first domino it affects the rest of the tiles. They Climb up hills, cross over domino made bridges, go down slopes, create a smiling face or a spinning pinwheel. The domino effect keeps going until the very last domino is turned over.

In life, not all domino effects are as exciting as this.

The dominoes in our lives are usually termed as trials and tribulations. It seems like one comes right after another, much like a domino effect. It seems like one problem bumps into another and then another. But like the clever game of domino building, with each bump, strength and endurance is revealed. But only if the foundation is laid properly.

James speaks of such domino endurance...

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -JAMES 1:2-4

In the art of making a great domino creation, you cannot take shortcuts. In fact, you must be patient and diligent. The same is true in the domino effect of life, there is no shortcut, there is no such thing as "instant" endurance. The pain brought on by disappointments, failures and unexpected loss is the long road to maturity. There is no other road to take. One domino will affect the next. One pain leads to strength, another leads to perseverance, while another leads to faithfulness. The second trial is as life molding as the first. God will mold us, teach us and heal us in each bump along the way.

It is fair to say that with each domino (life trials and tribulations) we must learn to endure them rather than escape them! However, our foundation must be Jesus Christ, or else our domino effect could have a negative outcome.

What kind of dominoes are you facing today?