Raise your hand if you remember playing the game of Chutes and Ladders®? 🙋‍ I don’t remember playing it as a kid myself, but I do remember playing it with my own children when they were younger and now with the grandchildren. Up and down, up and down we go as we move around the game board. Elated, deflated. Elated, deflated.

Sounds a lot like the game of life, doesn’t it?

Elated to go to the Rec Center to watch my 8-year old grandson play some basketball. Deflated when I got to the parking lot after the game and saw a dent in my back fender because someone had backed into my car and didn’t leave their name.

Elated to be voted as Homecoming Queen by my peers during my senior year of high school. Deflated when mean girls let me know how they felt about it in extreme mean ways.

Elated to get hired as a professor during the pandemic. Deflated to learn I had moved to an incredibly small town (only to learn it was exactly what I needed – LR).

Elated to have a play date together with my children on my 30^th birthday after a quick doctor appointment for my 4-year old daughter. Deflated when we were sent to the hospital for a week because she was diagnosed with Type I diabetes.

Elated to get an elementary principal position. Deflated when my School Board denied me a one-year leave of absence in case I disliked the new job (which I did because of unethical expectations and chauvinism).

Elated to be blessed with another beauiful granddaughter. Deflated when she had to have major surgery at 10-days old. (She’s doing wonderful now).

Elated to be a teacher of future teachers, loving them like my own children, and giving high fives freely. Deflated when I learned of a colleague saying I was a “phony.”

Life can be hard, can’t it? Really hard. I don’t know what chutes and ladders, ups and downs, elations and deflations you are facing today, but please know this…there is hope! The bible tells us we will have many trials and many sorrows here on Earth (John 16:33), BUT the Lord will deliver us from them all (Psalm 34:19). Whew, so thankful for that.

When life is hard, the good news is we have a God we can run to. He will take hold of our hand and help us (Isaiah 41:13). We just need to take His hand and trust in Him with all our hearts so we can keep moving forward (Proverbs 3:5-6).  

Isn’t it comforting to know we can handle the ups and downs, the chutes and ladders, the elations and deflations of life because we have God walking by our side? I plan to hold His hand and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8) because I need Him through life’s chutes and ladders.

Stay Calm & Keep Moving Forward through Life’s Ups and Downs!
Profs Dr. Wendy & Dr. V.