I love games – I’ve written about some of my favorites in past blog posts and since then I’ve picked up a few more. It’s a great way to spend time with my kids and their friends, and can provide an opportunity for learning important lessons about winning well and losing with dignity.
There are three reasons I play games: 1) Fun, 2) Relationships, and 3) Winning.
I play party games for fun – I don’t really care who wins, although I may get fairly animated in the process. Ultimately these games are about having a great time with friends. Usually the conversation in which the game is immersed is more interesting than the game itself. It’s a great way to get to know others better in a nonthreatening environment, surrounded by laughter.
I played church softball one season to build relationships with guys who rarely showed up at church. As a pastor, I figured that joining the softball team was the best way to get to know them. Let’s just say I wasn’t all that good at softball. Our league used team members as umpires. I was placed at first base to make the calls and evidently got the first one horribly wrong. Eventually I found myself back on the bench and so I started wandering through the stands talking to people. The coach looked up and yelled at me: “Julian – are we here to play or are we here to socialize?” I would have thought the answer was self-evident.
The trifecta is when I can play a game with family and friends where we are having fun, building relationships, and I’m still playing to win – then it really doesn’t matter if I win the game, I’m winning at life.
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