Have you ever played Bananagrams? Tonight, my husband and I sat at the table with a pile of tiles between us—a jumbled mess of letters waiting to be arranged into words. As I flipped over tile after tile, searching for connections, I realized that this simple game holds a more profound lesson about life and faith.
Life often feels like a disordered pile of tiles—messy and overwhelming. We encounter random situations, disconnected moments, and challenges that test our ability to make sense of everything. It is tempting to focus on the chaos and despair over the pieces that don’t fit.
But then, in the middle of the sorting and searching, the fun begins! A word emerges. And then another. The tiles start to form connections, creating meaning from what once seemed meaningless. Does this happen in your spiritual life?
Nothing is wasted in God’s hands. He is orchestrating, weaving, and arranging — to bring about His plan for redemption in each of us.
As I worked with my tiles tonight, I noticed something else. The process requires patience. You can’t rush it. When I first turn my tiles over, I feel a bit of stress — too many vowels, the j, x, z, or q … even the k throws me for a loop. I gently move the tiles about, looking for any word with which to begin, setting aside the distracting tiles. The analogy isn’t perfect (mine rarely are, LOL), but couldn’t that picture our faith? We must trust God’s timing and plan, even when we can’t see how it will all work out.
Playing Bananagrams also requires creativity. It invites you to see possibilities where others might see limitations. I play word games online like the NYT Wordle, Mini, and Strands, but I haven’t played much Scrabble in the last few years. I don’t have all the 2-letter words or the q without a “u” words readily available. In a similar way, our faith also requires creativity—seeing with spiritual eyes, not relying solely on the physical world, and recognizing opportunities for grace and growth in unexpected places.
Lastly, there’s the joy of sharing the game with Ron! He’s particularly good at word games and somewhat intimidating. The laughter and connection with Ron make the evening richer, reminding us that playing together is healthy! It also reminds us that living in community is significant. No one should sort through the tiles of their lives on their own, but whenever possible, enjoy the encouragement, wisdom, and perspective of others. Ron and I don’t play for points or keep track of the “wins.” Instead, after one of us gets our crossword together, we help the other finish. We enjoyed the teamwork as much as we enjoyed the original game.
Even in the simplicity of playing games, we can see God at work. Maybe it’s a stretch to apply a spiritual meaning to Bananagrams, but I don’t want to forget that God is in the ordinariness of our lives. Look for Him today—in the little things!
Also posted on Substack.
