Play the Long Game

If you keep talking, it won’t be long
before you’re saying something really wrong.
Prove you’re wise from the very start—
just bite your tongue and be strong!

Proverbs 10:19 TPT

As I get older, I see the value in playing the long game. It serves as a good reminder to me, Girlfriend, you are investing in the future, slow down, and play the LONG game, the one that gets you to the finish line.

It feels like with this whole pandemic-COVID-19-Corona-shelter-at-home thing, whatever you want to call it, that all I’m doing is reminding myself I’m in this for the long haul, I’m playing the long game.

My oldest daughter is due in one week to deliver my granddaughter. I’m so excited to have a granddaughter, I can barely stand it! I love being Aunt Louise, what’s it going to be like to be Lovey? Just so you know, my title will be Lovey. My kids have two grandmas and one granny so I went online and googled “hip grandma names” and found Lovey. I immediately fell in love with it.

This precious little girl will be born in her home state of California. I live in Arizona. And if you haven’t seen the news lately, we are a hot spot for the virus, I mean we are leading the world in new cases. With this in mind, I’m not exactly sure when I will hold her.

Oh, my heart aches. And then I remind myself, you’re playing the long game.

Playing the long game looks like me spoiling her for the rest of my life. I’m in this thing to create a beautiful relationship. One that consists of long FaceTime calls, baking together, laughing, vacations, and snuggles. So, if I can’t see her for a few months then so be it, because I will be in her life for a very long time.

I learned a valuable lesson years ago in an end of the year staff meeting. My boss was proposing something that I didn’t quite agree with and for that matter, either did the staff. I voiced my opinion as I can do quite well, my sister says I’m fiesty so you can imagine. My boss launched back at me like a cat in a corner.

Needless to say, I left that meeting and found a place to go before the Lord. After that time with the Lord I knew what I needed to do. First, I needed to make things right with my boss. Secondly, I entered a year of silence. The following school year I kept my mouth shut unless I was agreeing with what the administration was doing. If I didn’t agree, I kept silent.

Here’s what I learned from that year of silence: my workplace survived without my input and I gained the respect of my boss. Two valuable lessons. When I played the long game I grew in favor with my boss. Soon she was calling me and asking my advice and not long after that I got promoted.

When I look at how divided our country is right now, I think what if we all played the long game? What if we all took a year of silence and only said things that were encouraging? What if we listened to people, I mean really listened instead of working on our come back when they took a breath?

Maybe the mask issue wouldn’t be an issue. What if we all just submitted to the authority of the government and shut our mouths and literally covered them with a mask?

Maybe the pandemic is an opportunity for us to be Jesus to our neighbors. What if we reached out to friends who have been fighting this virus? What if we smiled at our neighbors as they walk their dog? What if we all just slowed down and paid attention to what our friends and neighbors need and then met that need?

Maybe the election doesn’t have to be so divisive. What if we just voted for the guy we thought was the best choice and didn’t call the other guy names? What if we spoke highly of the opposite party? What if we prayed blessings over the people who don’t see the world the way we see the world?

Friends, I know this is not easy, remember I lived through a year of silence and remember I came out the other side better for it. Sometimes being quiet allows room for better things.

Let’s all take Solomon’s advice and bite our tongue and be strong.