Supply and Demand

I tried to sell it for $150. No takers. I lowered it to $75. Nada. Finally, at 2am on Wednesday morning, I gave up and listed it for free on Craiglist. Could I give it away or would I have to pay to get it out of my house?

The floodgates opened wide. By 9 in the morning, I had about 15 emails and almost 20 voicemails, and they poured in throughout the day. The messages included everything from cash offers to stories about why they wanted the desk. Finally, in hopes of finding a good home for the desk, we decided to ask each person for an explanation for why they wanted it.
Here are some samples:

I just lost all my furniture in storage due to my ex boyfriend stealing it, we had our storage unit in both our names so he was able to take it
I am now living with my folks and have no furniture once I can afford a place of my own and this would come in handy since I use my computer a lot and can keep my bills and in order with Otis desk as well as write since this is one of my passions

The reason i want the desk so badly is because for one i have always wanted a roll top desk.Embarrsing enough but i am on a fixed income and have never had or will have the finances to buy one new. I would take good care of the desk it would be going to a good home. i couldnt belive my eyes when i saw the picture of it .

I am a single mother and have a 15 year old son, who is in need of a desk. He has told me he loves rolltop desks but they are expensive, which is why I have been looking on craigslist. There was one that we missed recently and it was very disappointing to both of us. He is a good student and a great kid and I want him to have a nice desk he can feel proud of and feel good doing his homework in. This desk looks perfect for him.

It was a difficult choice, but we decided to go with the last one. We hope it was a wise decision and that the desk brings someone joy and satisfaction for many years.

I was Lucky...er, Blessed

For some time, I have been confused by those who oppose using the word "luck." Many think it better to say "God blessed me" or "That was a blessing." (For the purposes of this discussion, I am focusing on inconsequential, pointless activities like games.) The real question is - Does anything happen by chance?

In the context that I use it, luck is "a combination of circumstances, events, etc., operating by chance to bring good or ill to a person." (dictionary.com) We know that some events in our world have somewhat predictable odds (based on probability and statistics) and are unlikely to occur at any given time. Some examples are:

- Winning a lottery or raffle drawing
- Rolling the exact dice number or drawing just the right card to win a game.
- A tennis ball that clips the net and rolls over to win an important point.
- Being eaten by a shark

When we enjoy good success or benefit as the result of a low probability (chance) event, we often say "Through no particular skill of mine, I profited from an unlikely event in my favor." Actually I don't know anyone who would say that - most people just say, "I was lucky" or "I had good luck." If the event was not in our favor, we had "bad luck."

From our perspective, the workings of our world sometimes produce unexpected or unlikely results. Solomon notes this:

I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. - Ecc. 9

When something odd or unusual occurs, beyond what we can control through wisdom and skill, we naturally attribute it to chance and luck.

In a general sense, every event was originally set in motion by God. In this way, I can see how the ancients believed (whether right or wrong) that casting lots was a way to discern God's will.

However, I also see that God allows his creation to exist according to the laws of nature that he created. The natural working of creation in motion can produce unpredictable results. I always have a 1 in 4 chance of drawing a "heart" from a shuffled deck of cards because that is the way God's universe works. If I did draw 5 hearts in a row, would I be lucky? Maybe, if I was playing poker. Otherwise, it is a meaningless event. Did God bless me if I get the 5 hearts? Does He care? Could God directly intervene to control the circumstance or outcome of some (meaningless) event? Of course. Does He always? I am not so sure.

I think there are some bigger questions than answers here.
To what degree is God involved in the events and actions of His creation? If the cards fall my way or the ball bounces over the net, is that always a blessing from God? If so, is it a cursing for the others who may lose something in the situation? Do I hit or stand on 17? Are all games are from the devil? Does any of this really matter?