All Right, All Right! I'll Go!

Jonah 3.1-10

1 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.[a] 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

Footnotes
3:3 Hebrew a great city to God, of three days’ journey.

Jonah. Servant of God who wants to pick and choose who he serves and who he doesn't. So he stands firm. "No God. They aren't worthy and I'm not going." And then he runs. He jumps on a ship and tries his best to run from God. Only problem is, God churned those waters until the guys on the ship started to freak. 

Jonah already told them he was running from God, so they had a pretty good idea where the stormy waters were coming from. Jonah did too. So, following Jonah's orders, they toss him overboard and sure enough, the waters stop. Smooth as glass. Only now, Jonah is in the belly of a big fish... until he begins praying, calling out to God. And God heard him and had the fish spit him out onto the shore. 

It's kind of funny. God doesn't miss a beat. He sends Jonah right back to where he was sending him when Jonah ran away. This time, he went. But he still wasn't thrilled. Jonah didn't think the people of Ninevah were worthy of being saved. He knew they were sinners living in ways that offended God and felt they deserved to be wiped off the earth... even though God gave Jonah a second chance! 

So Jonah did what God told him to do this time and the Ninevites heard him. In fact, they repented, turned from their evil ways, and re-committed themselves to God's ways. I would love to tell you that Jonah felt bad and did the same. But he didn't. He was kind of miffed that they actually listened. He truly wanted God to wipe them off the earth. 

As I read this scripture today, it got me thinking about the way God calls us to work with or reach out to specific people, and sometimes, we just plain disagree. We don't want to work with them. We don't want to share Jesus with them. And we certainly don't want to share the love of Jesus with them. So we run. We jump ship and head in the opposite direction. But where we go, there God is. On turbulent waters, in the bellies of fish, on long unwanted journeys. 

And so we cry out... and God hears. And just like Jonah, God doesn't change direction. God sends us in the same direction he did before we ran. Oh, surprise! So here's a thought: What about just going where God calls, doing what God asks of us, and celebrating when what God calls us to do, actually works. Now there's a thought! 

All right, all right!... I'll go. 
How about you?

Go Back to Bed

The Lord Speaks to Samuel

3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle[a] near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”

“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.

6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”

7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

The voice of God. Few ever get the opportunity to hear it. I mean, "hear it!" with our very own ears. We certainly do our best to listen for it, but most will go their entire life and never actually hear the voice of God speaking to them directly. 

So is it any wonder that this young boy doesn't recognize God's voice? 

We are told early in 1 Samuel that Hannah (Samuel's mother, eventually...) had no children. Yet, even though her husband's other wife (culturally, multiple wives was proper at this time) was able to provide children for him, he loved Hannah most. 

One day while Hannah was praying at the Tabernacle of God and weeping loudly, the High Priest Eli was sitting near the doorpost. She was praying, asking God for a son and in return, she promised to give the son back to God to serve him. The desperation of Hannah's prayer shows just how much she wanted to be a mother, even if it meant she could not keep the son she had wanted all her life. 

Hannah's promise to give her son back if God placed him in her womb was so crazy to Eli, that he questioned her about being drunk! But when she explained her pain with being barren, Eli blessed her. Hannah went home and conceived a son. When he was born, they named him Samuel, "Heard by God". Hannah enjoyed her son, holding him in her arms, rocking him to sleep, and feeding him to her breast... until he was weened. 

Then she took him to the temple to serve God by assisting Eli, the High Priest. And so we come to today's text. We are told that Samuel didn't know the Lord yet. He served God by serving God's priest, but he didn't have a personal relationship with God yet. In God's time. And here, God's time came. 

In God's time and in God's way, we will each hear from God. For some, though rare, it will be a voice in the night. For others, it will be a tingle as hairs stand on your arms and neck while singing a song. Or maybe you see a Cardinal or a sunset and feel the presence of God surrounding you. Or maybe, you just know deep within your being, where you have asked God to dwell, what it is that God is saying to you. 

Maybe you have never heard God's voice, or Holy bumps, or signs of the Spirit or anything else. That's okay too. Actually, Jesus says that it is one thing to hear or see and believe. But true belief comes from not hearing or not seeing and believing anyway. 

I've always thought, maybe I have heard God's voice a few times because my faith wasn't that strong and it was the only way God could get my attention!  So don't be hard on yourself if you haven't heard or seen a thing when it comes to God speaking to you. Be ready though, just in case. 

And if you aren't sure who it is calling you by the second or third time, hear some wisdom from Eli: 

“Go and lie down again, 

and if someone calls again, 

say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’”

Visitors From the East

1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[d]”

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Footnotes
2:1 Or royal astrologers; Greek reads magi; also in 2:7, 16.
2:2 Or star in the east.
2:6a Greek the rulers.
2:6b Micah 5:2; 2 Samuel 5:2.

Wisemen, Magi, Three Kings. Known by many names, the visitors from the East came with determination to find the One who was to be born. Not only did they want to find the babe, but they wanted to worship him, as well.

It should be no surprise that the powers that be were threatened by this joyous event. If it was important enough to mark this birth with a star, shining brighter than all others, then likely this special person would be born with power and authority. Any time someone's power is threatened by a newcomer, those in current power hunker down to hold onto the power they have available to them, as long as possible. Even if people get hurt. 

Yesterday was a day in our nation that crushed spirits and placed fear in our hearts. As the entire world watched, we all asked "How far will they go?" If one person shoots, will it be a maylay? A massacre? Will everyone start shooting? Would people be taken hostage? Or be beaten? The Capitol Building was breached with such speed, we all just watched in horror. 

A peaceful transfer of power is central to our democratic government in the U.S. Yet, when the reality set in that the people chose a different leader, the current leader in power wasn't willing to pass that baton. At least, not peacefully. So lies were told, fear was placed in the hearts of followers, and an invitation was given.

"Come and create chaos! Be strong and powerful!" 

And so they came. In the thousands. Breaking windows, scaling walls, pushing past law enforcement and barricades. Pushing past democracy and decency. Power does that. The Lord of the Rings comes to mind. "My precious..." Power once held is a very potent thing. It is why we have laws and processes, institutions and guidelines. That way, we don't have to depend on the human spirit to do the right thing. We simply follow the path laid out before us... no matter how we "feel". 

The visitors from the East came by Light.
They were eager to meet this new leader.
They brought gifts of great value. 
They became Light to a weary mom and dad who had just recently became parents. 

How can we become Light today? 

When the nation is whirling and the images never stop replaying.
When people are still dying, in the thousands every day, from a pandemic left unchecked.
When the divide between "the aisle" is wider than even our differences.

How can you become Light today? 

Stop using "us" and "them" language. 
Stop relying on others to make the change. 
Start searching out someone with differing views to begin a friendship with.

Do something Light-filled. 

The Wisemen put in much effort traveling a great distance, bringing very expensive gifts, and had to dodge the wrath of a leader who sensed his power would soon be challenged. 

They did something anyway. 
Will you?

2 Samuel 1
David Learns of Saul’s Death

1 After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect.

3 “Where have you come from?” David asked.

“I escaped from the Israelite camp,” the man replied.

4 “What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.”

The man replied, “Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”

5 “How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?” David demanded of the young man.

6 The man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him. 7 When he turned and saw me, he cried out for me to come to him. ‘How can I help?’ I asked him.

8 “He responded, ‘Who are you?’

“‘I am an Amalekite,’ I told him.
9 “Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.’ 10 “So I killed him,” the Amalekite told David, “for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.”

11 David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day. 13 Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, “Where are you from?”

And he replied, “I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land.”

14 “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked.

15 Then David said to one of his men, “Kill him!” So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. 16 “You have condemned yourself,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord’s anointed one.”

"Tell the truth and you won't get in trouble." We teach our kids this from a young age. It is always better to tell the truth than to concoct some story to save our butts. This story turns that theory on its head. Here we have a young man showing respect (kneeling, covered in dust) and trying to do the right thing, sharing the truth of what had happened. And David responds by having him killed. 

Can you imagine, for a moment, being out in that field and seeing the King impaled by his own sword, bleeding out, and begging for help... and you do what? Pretend you never saw it? Walk away? Allow him to suffer in agonizing pain? I don't know. I can't say I could lay a hand on anyone and take their life in my hands, but at the same time, I can't imagine allowing them to continue to suffer, either. 

I have a new dog. She is a rescue Pit and has extreme anxiety issues. I worry about her running into the road and being hit. In fact, the other night, she pulled out of her collar when my husband was taking her out potty and she wouldn't come back. Two and a half hours I searched for her in the yard, around barns, in neighbor's yards, and along the roadside. Several times I thought "Oh, if she's been hit by a car but is not dead, I don't want her to suffer!" and yet at the same time, could I have done anything if I found her that way? Probably the only thing I would have done is gone to get my husband and have him "do the dirty work." Thankfully, I didn't need to. I found her next door at Hillside Dairy Farm at 12:30am. 

It is easy to hear a story like this one and think we know what they "should" have done or what we "would" have done. But we are not them and they are not us. So instead, we try to understand the views of each involved and form empathy for them, trying to understand their motives. For the young man, I believe he was showing compassion by not only taking Saul's life, but by returning to David to let him know what happened. He could have just walked away. As for David, my guess is he was in great despair. He loved Jonathon and certainly had love for Saul, even though Saul had lost his mind and done everything possible to take David's life. And so in his grief and dismay, he found a scapegoat... and took his life, instead. 

Reset 2021

Wow.
What a year.
What a mess.
What chaos and loss and emotional distress.
Elections, pandemics, and zoom meetings... oh my!
Who isn't ready for 2020 to leave this earth?
Who isn't placing huge expectations on 2021 being a better, kinder, and healthier year?? 

And so... as I respond to all these in my own life, I have decided if I want 2021 to be different, then I have to do something different. So I am. 

I have had 11 joint surgeries (degenerative joint disease) in the past 7 years, making it difficult to work out regularly. In addition, I sit waaay too much for work. I live on a farm and love to garden, but it is not year-round. So rather than waiting for it to be easy or convenient to be physically active, I have decided that 2021 will be the year of commitment and change. I am planning on working out 3 days a week from here forward. 

For the past several years, I have been Bible Journaling. Most mornings I start the day with a scripture reading, an entry in my Gratitude Journal, and some form of artistic expression of the scripture I have just read. Sometimes that is scrapbooking, sometimes a drawing, a design with decorative tape, or using old greeting cards I have received from others. What I have been missing is reflecting on the Word. 

So I will be returning to my blog in 2021. My hope is to add a personal reflection several days a week. I'll start with the actual scripture reading, then an artist's rendering or photograph that reflects that portion of scripture, and then my reflection. Feel free to add your reflections in the comments. 

No one wants a redo of 2020. So let's move forward into 2021 together, not hoping it will be different, but making choices that will ensure a new and different year ahead. 

For My Sake, Deal Gently

2 Samuel 18.1-18

Absalom’s Defeat and Death
18 David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains[a] to lead them. 2 He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.”

3 But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us,[b] and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”

4 “If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,” the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.

5 And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.

6 So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim, 7 and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. 8 The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.

9 During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair[c] got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. 10 One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.”

11 “What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver[d] and a hero’s belt!”

12 “I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,[e]” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’ 13 And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”

14 “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. 15 Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.

16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel. 17 They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.

18 During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.

Footnotes:

18:1 Hebrew appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
18:3 As in two Hebrew manuscripts and some Greek and Latin manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts read Now there are 10,000 like us.
18:9 Hebrew his head.
18:11 Hebrew 10 [shekels] of silver, about 4 ounces or 114 grams in weight.
18:12 Hebrew 1,000 [shekels] of silver, about 25 pounds or 11.4 kilograms in weight.

I often wonder what is it about leadership that draws others not to follow?  More often than not, people are asked to lead, voted into place, or otherwise chosen to be a leader. And yet most do not follow their direction.

Here we clearly see King David wanting to join the warring party, yet he is discouraged to do so. Instead he is left behind and therefore has even less influence on the battlefield.  Before his men leave to fight in his stead, he gives the direct command to go easy on his son, for he is young and vulnerable, still loved deeply by his father.

When the time comes, Absalom ensnares himself in a tree in the forest and is seen by others.  Although some stand back and remember the orders they were given by the king, others lung forward. Without the ability to fight back, Absalom's life is taken... three daggers and then a mob ensues. Not even his body was brought back for proper burial. A king's love for his son is thrown down in that pit and covered with rocks... along with all dignity and respect. For it seems Joab and others have none for their leader.

Who Really Wins, Anyway??

2 Samuel 15.1-37

15 After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. 2 He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. 3 Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. 4 I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!”

5 When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them. 6 Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.

7 After four years,[a] Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill a vow I made to him. 8 For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron[b] if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.”

9 “All right,” the king told him. “Go and fulfill your vow.”

So Absalom went to Hebron. 10 But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’” 11 He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions. 12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.

David Escapes from Jerusalem
13 A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”

14 “Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.”

15 “We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do what you think is best.”

16 So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace. 17 The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house 18 to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard.[c]

19 Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. 20 You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you his unfailing love and faithfulness.[d]”

21 But Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the Lord and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”

22 David replied, “All right, come with us.” So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.

23 Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.

24 Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices[e] until everyone had passed out of the city.

25 Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle[f] again. 26 But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”

27 The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look,[g] here is my plan. You and Abiathar[h] should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River[i] and wait there for a report from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.

30 David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill. 31 When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”

32 When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. 33 But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden. 34 Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice. 35 Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace, 36 and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”

37 So David’s friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.

Footnotes:

15:7 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads forty years.
15:8 As in some Greek manuscripts; Hebrew lacks in Hebron.
15:18 Hebrew the Kerethites and Pelethites.
15:20 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads and may unfailing love and faithfulness go with you.
15:24 Or Abiathar went up.
15:25 Hebrew and his dwelling place.
15:27a As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Are you a seer? or Do you see?
15:27b Hebrew lacks and Abiathar; compare 15:29.
15:28 Hebrew at the crossing points of the wilderness.

And so Absalom turns on his father and the deal making begins. Deceit runs deep on both sides of the game.  Each determines their next move and the counter moves of the opponent. Like a chess game of human proportions, players are moved from one location to another, and then back again.  Everyone is guessing what move will be made next by the other, and then decisions are made affecting all.

Today, we seem to do the same thing. We anticipate the moves of others, whether in family disagreements, work relations, or friendship circles. And then we begin to form a team, like a childhood game of Red Rover.  We take the biggest and the brightest, the most powerful and influential. We place them on our team in hopes of increasing our chances at success.  But let's define this success: to simply be sure the other loses.

And surely we know the outcome. There will be regrets and there will be tears. There will be brokenness and their will be loss.  Who really wins, anyway??