A man has joy in an apt answer,
And how delightful is a timely word! (Proverbs 15:23, NASB)
The golf course superintendent at our club walked onto the range to say something to the head pro, who was getting ready to play. As it happened, I was on the range working on a problem in my game that had been a niggle in my wiggle for a few years.
The issue to which I refer is called a “pull.” I’m a right-handed golfer, so for me a pull is a shot hit to the left of the target but on a straight line. No curve is involved, and the shot typically goes the correct distance. Not a big pull, which often goes farther because the club face is somewhat shut, but perhaps 10 yards left of my target with a 7-iron.
I didn’t do it all the time, and when I did hit it, my divot would face the target. I asked my friends, some of whom are pros. Suggestions were made, but no one identified the cause.
If you talk about Jesus naturally all the time, that will happen on the golf course, too.So there I was, working away. And as I walked to a club-cleaning station I said hello to the superintendent. He happens to be a plus handicap player, so he asked what I was working on, and I said I was trying to get rid of a little pull.
In his natural Australian accent, he replied, “That’s usually from not turning back enough, isn’t it? Makes you come a bit over the top. At least that’s what I fight.” Then he walked away.
And there it was, the elusive answer, proven to be correct by the next 20 shots I hit. As my elation turned to reflection, I thought of today’s scripture. Good advice, it says, blesses both the giver and the receiver.
“How do I talk about Jesus on the golf course?” people often ask. They want to know because they want to share Jesus with their playing partners. It’s a good question that comes from a good heart, and I have an answer.
It all comes down to a couple of things. First, if you talk about Jesus naturally all the time, that will happen on the golf course, too. If you don’t, it’s kind of hard to make it happen. Second, it helps to listen to what the other person is saying. The verse above refers to an apt answer, not an apt attack.
If our super hadn’t heard my concern and understood it, and if he didn’t “talk swing” anyway, I’d still be pulling the ball. Talk Jesus because you love him, and listen to people because you love them. When the time comes, you will say what you are supposed to say. And that is delightful!
—
Lewis Greer
November 19, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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