When I was a high school student I failed a few subjects including supposedly simple courses like Beginner’s Typing and Driver’s Education. Thinking I must be dimwitted, I was amazed and understandably so, when decades later I learned that I was not a dimwit at all. In fact … I was a genius! Here’s the story …
If you’ve ever eaten at a Cracker Barrel restaurant you may have noticed a triangle peg board game next to the salt and pepper shakers on your table. According to the game’s instructions, if only one peg remains on the board at the end of the game … the player is a genius. Well, it was back in November 2010 while I was in a Cracker Barrel restaurant waiting for my meal to be served that I decided to give the “Peg Game” a try. Anticipating a quick defeat, I was astonished at how in rapid succession I cleverly and expertly moved the small wood pegs about the board. For the first time I began to think … maybe I can win this game!
Peg by peg I feverishly played to win. And as I did … the restaurant’s atmosphere became more and more electric. Minutes later the game culminated and my excitement climaxed when in a loud and exuberant voice I shouted out for all to hear … “I did it! Only one peg remains! I AM A GENIUS!” Then with my head held high, I rose slowly from my chair and curtseyed as the restaurant’s employees and diners gave me a standing ovation. Afterwards, while still basking in my glorious win I posed for a few photos with the restaurant’s manager Don Buchek.
It was a few days later that ‘brainy me’ began experiencing flashbacks of the legendary late night TV program, “The Tonight Show” starring Johnny Carson. I remembered how occasionally, Mr. Carson would have a ‘genius’ as a guest on his show … and they would discuss the requirements needed to become a member of the high IQ society … Mensa. Their discussions about Mensa had always piqued my interest and at long last I now knew why. It was because I was a genius! If only I’d known it at the time … I could have been guest genius on The Tonight Show!
Hoping to meet other geniuses and more importantly to become a Mensan, I decided to check out the Mensa International website at www.mensa.org. From their website I learned that membership of Mensa is open to persons who have attained a score within the upper two percent of the general population on an approved intelligence test that has been properly administered and supervised. Since I was a genius and there were no other qualifications or disqualifications for initial membership eligibility … becoming a Mensan would be easy, or so I thought.
I thought wrong. On The Mensa International homepage “visitors” are invited to take the Mensa Workout which is a “just for the fun of it” intelligence quiz. You have half an hour to answer the quiz’s thirty questions. I took the quiz and answered the first question correctly. After that it was all downhill as I incorrectly answered one question after another. After the fifth question I quit the quiz.
Failing the “just for the fun of it” intelligence quiz caused me to question my own intelligence. Was I a genius or not? I needed to know the answer. So in desperation I began searching for information about the peg game on Cracker Barrel’s website. At the top of the website’s homepage I clicked on ‘Fun n Games’ and read the history of the peg game. I was shocked to see that the website offers helpful tips and “practice” peg games. And as if that wasn’t upsetting enough….the website also offers the solution to the peg game! Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more unpleasant surprises … I saw the answer to my “am I a genius” question. Sadly, the answer is … no. I am not a ‘real’ genius. I am only a “peg game” genius.
What a comfort it is to know that I don’t have to be a genius to have a personal relationship with God. Nor do I have to be a genius to have my mind renewed by God’s Word.
Just as I am … Jesus shed His blood for me. Just as you are … Jesus shed His blood for you. Let us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to Him, both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:8)