“Deal or No Deal” Gives Away A Million

It’s a unique feeling to sit in your living room and watch someone live out a dream you once tried for yourself. I did that this week.

On May 1, 2007 I went to Indianapolis to audition for the show “Deal or No Deal.” Believe it or not I went with the pastor of my church. We arrived at 3:30 in the morning and got in line at a car dealership behind at least 2000 people. We ended up waiting about 18 hours before we got to audition. Even then we only got 20 seconds to impress the staff member. Needless to say we didn’t get chosen to be on the show.

Now ever since that experience I continued to watch the show. At the end of the 3rd season despite NBC”s efforts to make it as easy as possible (with as many as 13 out of 26 cases in one game holding the $1 million prize) no one won the big prize. The problem was that no contestant stayed in the game long enough to win the million. If they did stay in until the end they didn’t have the top prize.

My opinion was that no one was going to stay in the game for a 50/50 chance to win a million dollars if they were offered $400 or $500 thousand as a guarantee. That’s a lot of money and normal everyday people like they have as contestants just won’t turn down that kind of money.

This past Monday night, September 1, on the 2nd show of its 4th season “Deal or No Deal” found a contestant who was willing to take an “all or nothing” risk. Actually it was a $200,000 or a million dollar risk.

The contestant was Jessica Robinson. An expectant mother originally from Texas who wanted to move back there ( I forget where she was living at the time of the show) so her baby boy could be born in her home state. She ended up with the final 2 cases in her game holding either $200 thousand and a million. She was offered over $500,000 by the banker as the last offer but decided that the consolation prize of $200,000 would still help her family get started in Texas. So she took the risk and won the show’s big prize.

I’ve auditioned for two TV game shows: The syndicated version of “Who wants to be a Millionaire” and “Deal or No Deal.” I didn’t make it onto either of those shows. Although it has happened 3 times I have never seen anyone win the million on the syndicated version of “Millionaire.” I did see the one an only big winner on “Deal or No Deal.” I must admit it stirs up some interesting feelings to see someone do something you were hoping to do.

But I guess that brings up the issue of trusting in God’s sovereignty in your life. Doing what He wants you to do and having faith that he will work it out for his purposes. As a born again Christian I have to believe that what God wants for me is best for me. Looking at other people and what happens to them should not be an issue. The Bible clearly states that learning to be content with the blessings God has given you and where he leads you in life is an important aspect of following Christ.

To some of you it might seem like a long jump from wanting to be a winner on Deal or No Deal to accepting God’s sovereignty. But for me it’s lesson that teaches me that I should always put total faith in God whether he blesses me with a million dollars or not.