For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:P36, ESV)
We all love a good story! From the cradle to the grave, stories have a way of lifting us out of the humdrum of life and transporting us into another world, whether real or imaginary.
“Coming of Age” stories are some of my favorites: a first kiss, a first heartbreak, a first fight, a first sub-seventy round, a first set of clubs, or a first run-in with the law—you’ve got to love them!
About the only thing better than a “coming of age” story is a great golf story! Most of us could sit for hours listening to tales of Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Moe Norman.
Closer to home, I can always count on entertaining stories from the guys as we wait for the previous group to clear the fairway! Many times, we are ‘belly-laughing’ so hard that we have to compose ourselves before starting our waggles.
Don’t get me wrong, my friends are serious about golf, but great stories, which come from our six or seven decades’ trips around the sun, are often hilarious, frequently poignant, and sometimes deeply personal.
Recently, one of the guys shared a story about a grade school fight—one that he lost. A close friend jokingly said, “That’s the first story I’ve ever heard you tell where you are not the hero.”
Don’t get the wrong idea. The recipient of the good-natured ribbing can give it and take it with the best of them. We all had a good laugh at his expense! Beneath our laughter, though, I had the distinct impression we all knew he could have said that about any of us.
After all, we all have a hint of narcissism in us, don’t we? Orbiting our lives around another, whether it be our spouse, friend, or colleague, is no small challenge. I am not suggesting there is no such thing as altruistic behavior; instead, I am arguing that it is rarer than we think.
In the strictest sense, only Jesus Christ lived a perfectly sinless life free from the taint of self-promotion. Known as the “impeccability of Christ,” this is, in every sense of the word, an extraordinary claim.
Everyone has personal, family, cultural, and cosmic stories running through their minds that shape how they perceive themselves, act, and think about the world. And, naturally, we see ourselves as the main character in that story.
But, in truth, we only have a bit part! Or, said a tad more stridently, “We didn’t get the lead role!” Which is not to say our role in the story is insignificant. Every great story needs a ‘cast of characters.’
If you’re interested in a good story, listen to Randy Putnam’s in today’s video. Randy is a member at L.A.C.C., the host site of the 2023 U.S. Open.
Many years ago, Randy experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus. During a real-time ski accident, he called out, and Jesus responded. His life was never the same. Fifty years after that event, Randy still radiates a life devoted to his Savior, his family, and, somewhat lower on the list, the game of golf.
If the Scriptures teach us anything, they show us that the marquee in front of the theater of life has Jesus Christ as the hero of the story—he, and he alone, gets top billing! History truly is ‘His-story!’
When we see Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the one around whom we should circumnavigate our lives, everything shifts—everything begins to find its place in the ‘true story of the world.’
Prayer: Jesus! Empower us to see and believe that the big story of life is only rightly understood and lived when we acknowledge with Paul: “For from him and through him and to him are all things.”