Little BIG Planet

I have to admit that I have a new addiction. I've never had very good hand-eye coordination so video games have never been high on my list of fun things to do. HOWEVER, Andy loves them (he has 2 systems) and I wanted to understand why he would continue to play a game that consistently frustrated and upset him. And then he sealed his fate by introducing me to Little BIG Planet. I'm hooked!
It's a fun, progressive game that reminds me vaguely of the original Mario Bros. on Nintendo. You're player is a little burlap sack doll that you can dress up and change out as you go through lands and gaining new wardrobe items. You also acquire stickers to decorate your environment whenever you feel like it. There are mostly no time constraints and there are portals that save your progress as you go along so if you die, you don't have to repeat the entire level all over again. I have to be careful to not lose too much of my time to this game! I cannot even express how addicting it is! And thus, I understand Andy's persistence!
The unexpected joys evolving out of learning this game with Andy's guidance are that he innately understands how I learn and teaches/guides me accordingly, it forces us to communicate differently (i.e. honey, I need you to follow me, b/c if you don't, I'll die...), and it has taught me to persist even in the face of certain death! (Ok, well the death of my rag doll, but still!)
Why am I rambling about this game? Because tonight as I was playing a particularly difficult level, Andy quietly delivers a piece of Truth that blew me away. My doll had to move from rotating wheel to rotating wheel, progressively moving higher, collecting the point bubbles, and get to the end without dying too many times. Yeah, sounds simple right? NOT! I was frustrated and yelling at my doll b/c I was so paranoid of falling that I couldn't get one finger to release the button that causes the doll to let go so my other finger could hit the button to jump to the next wheel! I SIMPLY COULDN'T LET GO!!!
This is when my husband says to me (paraphrasing), "You know, this would be something good to share with your kids (students). Sometimes trusting God is simply letting go of something to which you're holding on too tightly." Since he had taken over this part for me b/c I was ready to throw the controller at the TV, I pondered the weight of those words for a moment.
How many times have I held on to something that was so seemingly significant to me? Completely unwilling to trust God with whatever that person, object, situation, or whatever. Then I thought, How would I communicate that to teenagers? How do I help them understand that there are times that we have to let go, so God can take us to the next level? Then I thought, I could make a whole lesson out of this! Whatever it takes, even if I have to take the game system into Bible study with me, this is a HUGE concept. It has the potential to affect our very theology (our understanding of God)!
God has truly blessed me by giving me a husband who is so intuitive and passionate about Truth and justice. Honestly, I think Andy has missed his calling in life. My belief is that someday soon, God will call Andy to be a preacher in some shape, form, or fashion. My prayer is that Andy will answer that call, b/c he is a gifted speaker who loves the Lord and wants the Truth to be heard!