Frank J. Buchman

Cowboy • Horseman • Writer

Luck Really Is Unimportant

“Some people have all the luck.”

Others seem to get “only bad luck,” or “no luck at all.”

Those philosophical statements often ring true.

Success demands on many things, but frequently it really does come down to “being at the right place at the right time.” That’s certainly “luck,” in a sense of the definition.

Comparatively, we’ve never considered our self very lucky. Yet, that’s tallied on what we thought was important, but really wasn’t. When everything that does matter: meal on the table, roof over our head, shirt on our back, family, friends, horse to ride, and a God to trust, we’re lucky.

However, “beginner’s luck” seems to really stick out, as we’ve  had more than our fair share. We’ve undertaken tasks without a clue what we were doing, and came out on top; that’s luck.

Many people have had the same experience, and it’s been most apparent in competitive activities with horses.

Often, the first time one participates in a horse show, with little true knowledge, although perhaps a talented horse,  they will win. Then, after buying a new hat from getting the big head, expressing how easy it is, and how much they know, the real world comes around.

Again, there are some who continue to rank high no matter what they do, but generally “their luck runs out,” or at least it’s not like in the beginning.

While, we “never had much luck” in rodeo competition, there are those who rode their first bull out of the chute and won the prize. The second time wasn’t so easy, and many of them quit before long, because it required “more than just luck.”

There are many ways to look at luck. Perhaps it’s a fluke, maybe chance, or coincidence, just fate, an accident, destiny, predestination, or any number of other viewpoints.

Many consider “luck” superstitious, and most translations of the Bible don’t even include the word.

We prefer to consider our good fortune to be Godsend and blessings from above. On the contrary, bad luck is just misfortune, and all will be balanced in the end through “His plan.”

Reminds us of Psalm 41:1: “Dignify those who are down on their luck. You’ll feel good; that’s what God does.”  Likewise, Psalm 72.9: “He rescues the destitute who have run out of luck.”

+++ALLELUIA+++

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