Ryan's Hope

The final able draws near at the World Series of Poker Main Event. As we write this on Thursday evening (U.S. time), Australian champion Daniel Hachem has bowed out in 79th place. Iranian native Antonio "the Magician" Esfandiari left in 82nd.

But of course, we want to focus on the man who finished 738th. Ryan Von Bevern is married to one of our nieces, after all - and on his third try at the Main Event, he made the money. The scoreboard (which has misled us at times) shows he won a bit more than $20,200.

This is how Ryan knows where he finished. He was given a card with his ranking. The WSOP staff has to keep things organized, with so many tables going at once and the prize money increasing with every few eliminations.

ESPN even mentioned Ryan's sorta-kinda presidential campaign on its livestream of the tournament. A $20,000 payday won't buy him a big media blitz to promote his candidacy. But he achieved one thing he hoped to accomplish - and in doing that, he experienced this:

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. - Proverbs 13:12

Are you hoping for a big poker payday? Perhaps your own WSOP bracelet? It might take a lot of games and a lot of patience. It took us 13 tries before we won our first tournament at a Georgia bar. But we kept the hope going. And even better, we did this....

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. - I Timothy 6:17

We took our hope of success to God, praying for His will to be done. Success in poker has come in small ways over the years. But our main reason for entering poker rooms is to share a better hope....

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Galatians 5 shows joy and peace are two "fruit" of God's Holy Spirit. And beyond that....

...A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. - Titus 1:2

It's the only real hope we have beyond this life, you know. And we suspect the blessing of eternal life in the Kingdom of God will be far better than any trip to a cashier's window.