Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia… We got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6, 10, NIV)
Last week I played the LPGA Senior Championship on the Pete Dye course at French Lick Resort. Carved out of a beautiful bluff in Southern Indiana, this particular Pete Dye layout is a beast and one of the most unfair courses I have played. Good and poor shots can end up in disaster. An added bonus for the three days was cold temperatures and wind.
What is also important to understand is that coming into this event, I had played less than seven competitive rounds of golf in the last nine years. If you have played any local tournament at your course, then you know about the internal shift that happens between social and competitive golf. Regardless of how little I have played since retiring from the Tour, high performance expectations still remain in my DNA.
Even though my scores were disappointing, I experienced a joy that left me feeling like a pro golfer again.Last year when I attempted to play this event, these expectations set me up for failure and sabotaged what felt like every swing. I was my own worst enemy on the course, I played angry, and I was miserable. This year I practiced more intentionally, and I arrived in French Lick with three goals to help keep those vexing expectations reined in.
Before I get to these three goals, I must share about my local caddie, Trevis. We quickly recognized that we were spiritually like-minded and rooted in Jesus. And out of that common ground, God blessed me with a teammate who anticipated my need to stay warm (especially my hands), had experience on the course and read the greens exceptionally well, and was instrumental in helping me remain steadfast to my goals. God knew I needed Trevis.
Be kind to myself, stay within my process regardless of where the ball goes, and add up the score at the end of the day. If it wasn’t for naming these three goals and having Trevis’ help in staying focused on them, I am confident my week would have been more miserable than last year. Even though my scores were disappointing, I experienced a joy that left me feeling like a pro golfer again.
Our relationship with Jesus is no different. We often zero in on the results of our life known as our circumstances, which we then use to determine whether God cares about us or not. If our health, job, and relationships are thriving, God is for us. When any of these break down, God is the adversary. Results-oriented thinking will leave us hopeless.
But hope… hope grows as we stay engaged in our journey with Jesus. We can choose kindness through repentance (turn, change of mind) when we miss the target (sin), stay with our individual process with Jesus even when it feels hard, and trust that God will provide what we need at the right time.
I was required to have a caddie at the LPGA Senior Open, but I needed one who could be with me right where I was feeling about my golf game, to encourage me, and to challenge me to stay present. Likewise, we need people to walk with on our spiritual journeys.
Today, I want to encourage you to be kind to yourself, be present each moment of the day, allow God to handle the results, and pursue fellowship with your people.
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Tracy Hanson
October 25, 2018
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.