Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (Galatians 4:8-9, ESV)
The Carolina blue sky and cool air welcomed us for our 7:52 am tee time. Nervous anticipation tingled inside as we peered down the first fairway. The first round of the US Senior Women’s Open at Pine Needles Golf Resort was moments away.
I went through my checklist. Fourteen clubs – check! Yardage book – check! Water, food – check! Wind direction – check! After several practice rounds, I felt ready with the knowledge I needed to caddie well for my friend Barb.
There are many qualities to a good caddie. Understanding course management is at the top of the list. Knowing how far your player hits each club is also essential. There are many need-to-know facts, and then there is knowing your player.
For example, every player has different needs with regards to words of encouragement, and the right timing is always imperative. Knowing what words to say and how to say them is an understanding that develops when both player and caddie are willing to know and be known by the other. Trust and camaraderie deepen over time. When adversity arises, because it always will, trust is the glue that keeps the two working as a team.
Knowing what words to say and how to say them is an understanding that develops when both player and caddie are willing to know and be known by the other.Does the player/caddie relationship feel familiar to our relationship with God? We absolutely need to know facts about Jesus’ life, messages, and death, resurrection, and ascension. And we also need to move deeper into our heart’s experience of being known by him.
We are created to be known by God. And to be known by God can feel very frightening. In his book, Anatomy of the Soul, Curt Thompson says, “We tend to place a great deal of emphasis on the ways and the degree to which we know God (or know things about God) rather than to the degree we are being known by God.”
Thompson further explains, “To be known is to be pursued, examined and shaken. To be known is to be loved and to have hopes and even demands placed on you. It is to risk… to be known means that you allow your shame and guilt to be exposed—in order for them to be healed.” No wonder why we turn back to the weak and worthless ways of the world.
If being known is so frightening, then what is the upside? Deeper relationships, lavish love, greater joy, and more vibrant relationships with God and others. It may feel like a risk, but I am learning it is one worth taking.
Now it’s your turn. Are you willing to trust Jesus and be known by him?
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Tracy Hanson
May 23, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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