| Human Need: A New Look at Tetris |
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| Hey Alot of you know me, I'm Aaron; for those of you who don't I'm Aaron. Tonight I'm gonna tell you all a little bit about my life about who I am and what I've been through. One thing I love to do is play video games. Me and a freind counted up how many games I have and the total was somewhere over 50. After I get home from school or work, one of the first things I�ll usually do is to sit down and play for a good 30 min. It really helps me to unwind. I was playing Tetris last week, I probably should�ve been studying but you guys know how it is. And the way I like to play, I�m sure some of you play this way also, is that I like to go for the big score. I�ll set up everything so perfectly, just the way I want it to be, but I�ll always leave a space for that straight narrow piece. You know the one I mean. And when it comes I slide it in. That�s how I play. But almost always, that piece will never come. So I�ll stick another piece in that doesn�t really fit. Usually it�ll work for a little bit, but eventually, the pieces begin to stack up, and it totally throws off my game. All because I tried to put a piece in place where it didn�t belong. And as always, I got frustrated and turned it off. While I had the game off, I started to think. I have no idea where this came from, but I realized that my life is a lot like the game of Tetris. |
| The following was given at Cape Young Life on March 12, 2001 |
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| Here's how. I have everything in my life set up so perfectly and just the way I want it, but there�s an empty spot. At first I just played around it, but the longer that I played the larger that emptiness became. And I needed to fill it. So I thought to my self, �Alright, If I do real good in school and get good grades, my life will become complete.� So I tried that. I studied hard and took good notes and paid attention in class and all of that fun stuff. And for a little while it worked. But then something would come up. I�d bomb a test, or fail a project, would not get the grade I wanted, I�d get frustrated, and it would all just ended up having a larger empty spot than I started out with. When that didn�t work out, I had to find something else to fill that emptiness in my life. I figured if I train hard and have a good football season, and do good in football, than that would fill my emptyness. So I did just that. Come summer, I�d ride my bike to the weight room every time it was open and lift and do all of that great stuff that the coaches have you do. I worked hard in practice and played hard in the games. And for a little while, I felt complete. But when the season ended, I didn�t have anything left to strive for. It was like everything I was using for support fell out from under me. And I felt empty. |
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| My parents have always brought me to church and at that time I was sick of having everything fall apart on me. So I thought maybe this Jesus guy is where it's at. But I figured, 'ya know, I'll worry about that when I'm older, Right now I just wanna be young.' So once again, I tried to fill my life my way. I came to the conclusion that I was trying to please others, when the only person I needed to please was myself. I figured that if I�d fill my life with just things I liked to do, than I�d compleat. So I just did whatever it was that I wanted to do. Whatever it was that I liked to do, I did it. At first, it felt good. I was pleasing myself. But soon, it wore thin. I didn�t get any satisfaction. So I just said, �I give up, You do this. I�m sick of having it all fall apart on me.� So Jesus came in and filled that emptiness that had just been eating away at me for so long. Just like in that game of Tetris, I tried to fill an emptiness that could only be filled by a certain piece. And the things I tried to fill that void with, only threw off my game. We all have an empty spot in your lives. All of us are looking to fill that void. It�s something we need. |
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| There's a woman in the Bible also who had a need. Her's was much more severe than mine. Here's the story. Luke 8:40-8 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed HIm, for they were all expecting Him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with Him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve was dying. As Jesus was on His way, the crowds almost crushed Him. And a woman was there who had been the subject of bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak and immeadately her bleeding stopped. 'Who touched me?' Jesus asked. when they all denied it, Peter said, 'Master, the people are crowding against you and pressing you.' But Jesus said, 'Someone has touched me; I know because the power has gone out from me' Then the woman, noticing that she could not go unseen, came trembling and fell to His feet. In the presence of all, she told why she touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. then He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace.' |
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| Alright here's what happened. There�s this woman who is sick. She�s bleeding. She�s had this issue for years. She gave all of her money to doctors hoping to find a cure, but they took her money and what they gave her didn�t work so she was still sick. So not only is she sick, she�s out of money. So she hears that Jesus is coming to town. She hears He�s passing by. When He does, the woman goes and gets out of her house, and fights her way thru the crowd to get to Jesus. She figures that if she can just touch the edge of his clothes, she�ll become healed. And it works. Jesus turns around and asks, �Who touched Me?� And when the woman answers it was her, Jesus blesses her and she�s healed. Take a look at the woman here. She had an emptiness that was just killing her. She tries to fill the hole with medicine and what have you, but it just ruined her. The Bible says that she had an issue. She had been sick for so long and lost her money and was pretty much out of hope. I�ve been sick before, but never anything like that. Her friends left her. And since she's been sick for so long, 12 years, shes considered unclean. No one can come near her, and she's not allowed to go anywhere where there are people. So not only is she sick, shes cut off from everyone else. She's out of hope and out of money, and out of hope. When she hears that Jesus is coming to town, she decides that He�s gonna be her last option. Maybe she heard about how Jesus fed the 5000, or how Jesus gave site to the blind, or how Jesus raised the dead. What ever it was, this woman decides, �No, I�m not gonna out like this.� So she goes after Jesus. And everywhere that Jesus goes, He�s got a huge crowd following Him So she fights thru this crowd thinking, that if she can just touch the edge of Jesus� clothes she�ll be healed. And she was . Now Jesus could have done a number of things. He was a busy a man, in fact when the woman touches Him, He�s on his way to bring a dead girl back to life. Jesus could have just ignored her and went on His way. He could have turned to her and said, �What were you thinking? Don�t you know I�m busy.� Or He could have said �Well I�d like to help you, but I really can�t so�� And the fact that He stopped for hwer her, shows He's not too busy for her, or anyone. But instead, Jesus healed her. The fact that Jesus noticed that she touched Him is just amazing. Everywhere He goes, there�s a crowd of people going with Him. And He felt this one woman touch Him. He filled her empty spot. He had compassion for her. Jesus took her for what she was, and came down to her level. He saw where she was hurting, saw where she was empty, and used His power to heal her and satisfy her emptiness. Maybe some of you are sick. Maybe some of you are empty and in need of healing. I was at one time, so was this woman. Jesus wants to heal you and fill your void. All you have to do is reach out. We all have a need in our lives. that's because we were designed to be in a relationship with God. He wants to have one with us, but too often we let other things get in teh way. While some of the things that we do try fill our lives with aren't bad, they can't satisfy us, and in the end will only leave us empty. |
| Tetris Created by: Alexey Pazhitnov Special Thanks to: Chris Etheridge Julie Fetzer-Gill Frances Slatery SueAnn Thomas Delivered by: Aaron V.F. PICAR |
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