Lessons learned on the golf course

There are a few things that I’ve learned on the golf course with my son. Obviously the most notable would be that “I CANNOT TALK” . Now those of you who know me well understand when I say this was extremely difficult for me at first, but I’ve learned that through being silent the birds singing, the sound of the club connecting with the ball at impact, the rustling of the trees on a windy day or the hearing the squirrel scurrying through the woods can be so refreshing to the mind, both physically and emotionally. And yes, believe it or not, I can be quiet and still, sometimes for a couple of hours. (It even surprises me!)




The second thing I’ve learned is some of the common every day terms that I use are not exactly the same in golf. For instance a slice isn’t a piece of pie. It is shot in which the direction of the ball curves like a banana and it isn’t normally a shot that is hit intentionally. A hook isn’t a piece of metal used to catch or hold something, rather it is for the right-handed golfer a right to left ball flight that will some cases give the golfer an advantage, especially when it’s a controlled “draw”. It is also used by some golfers to escape trouble and unlike the slice, a hook is an intentional shot.



I have also learned that golf isn’t any easy sport. Every shot in golf counts and boy, do they add up quickly! I have watched Alex go through periods where he has hit the ball well and I have watched him struggle to even get the ball to the green. I have seen putts skim the hole and lip out. I have seen chip shots that fly the green. I have seen periods of deep anguish and frustration for him and I’ve seen periods of exuberance and excitement. But what I have witnessed at all times, is that he does not quit. He does not give up, sometimes he does defeat himself when he’s playing poorly. But he keeps counting the shots and he finishes. It may not be the finish he hoped for, but he completes his round and removes his hat and shakes hands with others in his group.



Another quality that I have seen in Alex is his undying commitment to his sport. He practices continuously, even during the times he doesn’t feel like it’s getting him anywhere. He is diligent about making an effort to get out and try. He has a very strong work ethic when it comes to his passion.

Which brings me to the point of this blog. In life sometimes it is necessary for us to be quiet and still while waiting for God to show us what He wants us to do. Sometimes we are going to mishit and mess up, maybe intentionally or not intentionally, but we’re going to mess up. There will be times of flourishing and there will be times of famine, but we don’t have to throw the towel in and give up. We just keep playing until the round is over and we don’t allow the disappointment of one bad round affect the outcome of the next. We move on and when we don’t feel like moving on we ask God to give us the dedication and commitment we need to keep the passion of following Him, regardless of whether it feels like we’re making progress or not. Let’s face it life is hard, but we don’t have to face it alone!