Doug E. Pudge

Gambling On Community

You know, I was thinking. After spending a couple of years in the bars doing the karaoke thing I found myself with a promotion in my job and a transfer out to Aurora, Illinois. Now, being that I am from SE Michigan and that I have never lived anywhere else, I found myself living alone in an apartment in North Aurora. When I first moved there I was quickly able to find the local bar with Friday night karaoke and made a home there. But, it wasn't like it was back in Michigan. I needed more things to do other than Friday nights. At least back home there was still family and long time friends to spend time with, in Illinois I had none of that. So, since I worked the midnight shift which was Sunday through Thursday nights, I decided one Friday afternoon to go to the Hollywood Casino in Aurora. I had never been to a casino in my life up until this point so I really didn't know what to expect. It was one of those river boat things that you had be on it at a certain time and then could only get off at certain times. Well, here I was looking around wondering what to do first. After about 15 minutes I found myself sitting at a $5 black jack table. Well, three hours later I was walking out of there after winning about $600. I was hooked.

About a year later I found myself in the casino about every day of the week. I would do whatever it took to get into "action." On more than one ocassion I would go straight from work to the casino then go back home and shower and then go back to work. I remember once when I did this for three days straight. But, I knew all the morning time gamblers and we were always there at the same table every day doing our black jack thing! We had friendship, fellowship and a common bond. My life was filled with community, but at what cost?

There are some types of community that cause nothing but self destruction and termoil. God has a way of using the messes that we make to bring us back to Him. All communities are not created equally and all do not have a happy ending. When our values change and we come back to our senses God is able to use our weaknesses to show His strengths (I heard that one in a sermon this past Sunday). Be blessed beyond belief today.

posted by Doug E. Pudge @ 1:39 PM