Golf
Wouldn’t it be nice (easy) if everything was taken care of for us and we didn’t have to decide anything?
I was thinking about my wife’s cousins wedding in TX (the one where I was translating a Latino news program Spanish to English for my mother-in-law when I couldn’t speak Spanish) and I remembered a related story from that trip. I was golfing by then and I went to a professional conference just before the wedding. Inexperienced traveler that I was, I had seen people travel with golf clubs so that they could play when they arrived at their destination.
My professional conference was in Palm Springs and I thought I’d play with friends (I ended up not playing because the greens fees were over $200 and that was 30 years ago). So, I had my clubs with me when I caught up with my wife and my in-laws in TX. I had a free afternoon and decided to play a round at a local golf course (I don’t remember what the greens fees were but I can assure you they were much less than $200).
I was playing by myself and it was a slow day at the course so, for the most part, I had it all to myself. I was playing one of the first few holes when I noticed a sign that said something close to
If your ball leaves the fairway, don’t retrieve it. There are rattle snakes in the rough.
I don’t really like snakes anyway so I think I donated a ball or two to the rough before I finished.
But this made me think how nice it would be if life had signs that popped up saying “don’t do this, you’ll regret it” or “you can do better, make another selection” or “only pay for this if the potential bad result will happen”. In other words, I want someone to take care of me and stop me from making bad decisions.
When we first moved to Kansas, I contracted with a guy to plow my driveway (this is before I got any equipment to do it myself). It was a prepay deal where the guy promised to plow our driveway within 24 hours of any snow more than 1” in return for a set amount of money. The first year we had the contract was a mild year and my wife was mad that we paid several hundred dollars and the guy only had to plow once or twice. She thought we should get a refund for the excess prepaid contract over what we would have paid on a plow as you go basis. I tried to explain that the guy took a risk that we would have had a snowy year and he would of had to plow such that the plow as you go charge would have been much higher. She still thought it wasn’t fair.
“You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” - Psalm 119:65-68 ESV
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.” - Galatians 6:1-5
“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” - 2 Timothy 2:4-7
Being a Christian, we have to navigate a secular world. It would be great if there were signs to tell us right from wrong. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us discern right from wrong. Lord knows there are numerous people willing to twist words to try to convince you that sin is ok.
