Poor Whitney

As some of you know, I am a professional clown (Maggie Mae) and one of my magic tricks is a game about choices. If you know anything about magic, it's called a forced trick. The person picks a number between 1 and 16 and no matter what number they choose, as we count on a game board I can make them land on the color I want. Behind this color is always Jesus. As we talk about the things they didn't choose, we are talking about things the world has to offer.

Behind the green square is a bag of money, a lot of people think money is the key to peace and happiness. You can't eat but one meal at a time, you can't wear but one set of clothes at a time. Money can not buy you true friends but can open the door to many stumbling blocks. It cannot buy you happiness and I want my volunteer to be happy so I haven't allowed them to land on that.

Behind the red square is a crown, representing fame and popularity but we know that can't bring you happiness either. I remember when I was in school I thought the answer to happiness was to be one of the "in" kids. We grow up reaching for the stars, look at all the reality shows on TV. If only we were famous we would have everything, right? No, it's hard to tell who your true friends are when you're famous and you are always trying to out run the microscope you are living under. When we get to the red square I always think about Princess Diana but today I think about Whitney Houston. They seemed to have everything the world has to offer but their lives were so troubled. Fame and popularity cannot bring you happiness and can open the door for many stumbling blocks. I want my volunteer to be happy so I haven't allowed them to land on that.

Next is the blue square and behind it is the word "nothing". Now we know right away that's not good! The world is filled with people who feel like they have nothing to live for. We all are searching for meaning and purpose to our lives and so many times we try to fill that emptiness with the things of the world, which will let you down every time. The things of this world cannot bring lasting peace or happiness and can open the door to many stumbling blocks. Again I have not allowed my volunteer to land on this.

The last color is yellow and I have forced my volunteer to land on this color and behind it is Jesus! I explain how Jesus has come so that we can have life and have it abundantly. Only He can bring the lasting happiness and peace that money cannot buy, He can be the friend like the most popular person has never known and only He can fill up that emptiness inside each and every one of us.

Yes, it is a game, a magic trick but it teaches a very important lesson. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could force people to choose Jesus like Maggie Mae? We can't, we can only share what He has done in our lives. Every one must choose Him for themselves. It's more than just choosing Him, we must follow Him and obey His word. Only a relationship with Jesus can bring lasting peace and happiness, if we could talk to Diana or Whitney today they would tell you, it's the most important thing!