Last evening a friend of mine and I decided that after playing golf for a few weeks, we wanted to participate in what is called Glo Golf, here in Arizona. Apparently, this particular golf club entices folks to come out at night with this marvelous idea of playing after the sun goes down. All I can tell you is that I don’t remember having that much fun outside of the kitchen when I have a mixer in my hand and a pound of butter beside me. Our husbands decided they would like to go so they could “help” us find the balls, or shine the flashlight on the course so we wouldn’t end up in a water hazard trying to find the tee box. So off we went to play in our first glow golf tournament. We picked out our out-fits that would go with our 4th of July led necklaces. Randy was even instructed to wear a shirt that would match the blue in my necklace so our pictures would look perfect, color wise. We arrived to find that apparently the 50 golf carts that were lined up had made a trip (or 5 trips) to the Dollar Store. Every imaginable glow in the dark neon bracelet, necklace, hanging ornaments had been purchased and adorned the golf carts. We were the only ones that didn’t have a golf cart that could be seen from space. But, what a night. They had told us that if we found ourselves using the glow balls that were given to us and needing more, they would could be purchased for $8/each. Those of you who know Randy know that he would swim an ocean to retrieve a lost ball before spending $8 for a ball. So we take off, realizing that, if at all possible, that glow ball that came in our alloted amount, would be treated like gold. And swim some of us did. On about the 3rd hole, I actually (in the dark don’t forget) crawled under a wire fence that separated the driving range from the “out of bounds” area to the right of the fairway. But retrieve I did. With the help of two different golf clubs and muscles from crawling on my stomach that I had not used in years since trying to get dirty diapers from under furniture that was too heavy to move, when the kids were little. Thank goodness, it was dark. A little further down the course, Teresa found herself crawling over a fence to find her glow ball which was laying near the street. She came back with a splinter in her finger from the wooden fence. Both of our balls landed in the water hazard which we, once again, using the longest clubs we could get, dragged the ball to the edge of the lake, then sticking our hand in that filthy water, was able to rescue the treasured ball. We discovered drainage ditches that we had never noticed when we play in the daytime. All in all, we had a ball. The laughter, the new adventure, the memories that were made with our husbands there to cheer us on, were priceless. We cannot wait to sign up for the next one.
But as we played, I thought about how the “adventure” could relate spiritually to my life.
As we would step up to the tee box, focusing on the glow flag that sat sometimes 200 yards down the fairway, and not being able to see water hazards or sand traps, we knew that we had no choice but to keep our eyes on that blue glowing flag pole at the end of the fairway. We were so fortunate in that one of the men who work for the club house, rode by and gave us some very important information. On holes 10 and 18, the water hazards were on the left and to try to keep our balls to the very right of the fairway. We did indeed listen, but because we are very inexperienced, sometimes, no matter how hard we tried, the ball went to the left, right in the water. How many times in my life have I done the same thing. There have been times when I did ask God for guidance and did try to do what I felt was right. But still failed, because of my immaturity or listening but then feeling like “i’ve got this”, decided to do what I felt was right? How did I handle those times? Did I keep looking at the “blue lit flagpole” (God) and get back up and determined to trust Him and lean on him, or did I give up and try on my own to accomplish what I was attempting? Did I take my eyes off Him and listen to the world in how to live or which path to take?
As in our daily lives, God desires our surrender and love. He promises to guide us and to never leave us. His ways are always best, no matter when circumstances seem hopeless.
Last night, I heeded the instructions of the ones who knew the course like the back of their hand. Had I not, I would have found myself in the sand traps and deeper water than I would have been able to get out of.
In our daily lives, lets keep our eyes on the God who loves us and tries to keep us from “having to crawl or swim” to get back on the path that He knows is best for us. Thanks be to God for His love, grace and faithfulness. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good! Even on the golf course.