Drake, who just recently passed his Nursing Boards and now has “RN, BSN” behind his name, (nothing to do with the story, but I like to brag!) is my first grandchild. When he was maybe 4 and had 2 younger siblings, he made up a game to play when he went on the inevitable long car rides 4-year-olds despise. I don’t know what he called it, but I called it “Counting Duallys.” For those uninitiated, as I once was BG (before grandsons, particularly grandsons who live in the country) a “dually” is a heavy-duty pickup truck with 2 wheels on each side of the back axle, to distribute a load better.

Drake, who by then could count pretty high, would entertain himself by counting each dually he saw on a trip, adding each to the number he had already accumulated. Of course, he counted these out loud.

After several weeks of this game, he, his brothers and his mama were getting ready to turn into their driveway when Drake announced “There’s number 172!” His mama protested, “But Drake, that’s Mr. Jimmy’s truck. You’ve counted that before!”

Not to be dissuaded from adding to his treasure-count of duallys, Drake announced, with maximum assurance, “It’s my game and I can make up the rules.”

I like that attitude – maybe not from a 4-year-old, unless he’s your precious first grandson – but I like that attitude! In fact I have used that expression so much that it has become somewhat of a family meme.

However, I rediscovered a Bible verse recently which makes me think that maybe God frowns on such an attitude: “We may make our plans, but God has the last word.” (Proverbs 16:1 GNT)

I can yell and scream and stomp my feet that “It’s my game and I can make up the rules,” but if the Lord has other plans, I can only count the duallys He says I can count. His rules are the ultimate ones which govern this game we call “Our Life.”