A quick update on life: “you win some, you lose some.” Right now it feels like a lot of battles are being lost. It’s not very much fun to say “Hey, you’ll get it next time,” or “Just one more point and you would have had them.” I don’t want to win or lose. I want to play the game.
Playing the game isn’t about scoring touchdowns, making baskets, or completing the perfect shot. It’s about making those touchdown moments last, cheering each other on, and getting up when you feel like you’ve fallen down. It’s about learning to work together, build each other up, and using your gifts to do your BEST.
Life is kind of like that too. I always hated the cliché talk about how life is like a sport. But really if you think about it, it is… It is always going to feel like if you’d given that little extra push, you’d have done better, felt better, BEEN better.
Today I went golfing, with an AMAZING friend. She and I probably shouldn’t be allowed near the golf course at the same time, because we tend to get crazy – mostly frustrated, but we have fun. I decided that while we were out there, it wasn’t so much my score that mattered to me. Sure that first 9 holes was amazing. Felt like I was hitting everything right. But the second 9, well, lets just say you shouldn’t look at the last 4 holes of the day. Between our frustrations and anger we kept telling ourselves that each hole would get better, apparently that wasn’t the plan, but we kept saying it. Towards the end you get mentally challenged and you really just don’t want to keep playing – but you push through because you know it’s only “3 holes til we’re finished.” Sometimes it’s nice to know the end is in sight!
Golfing today was also challenging physically, it’s been a while since I’ve hit up the course and boy do I feel it tonight. Standing, sitting, laying – it all hurts. But it’s a good hurt, the kind that lets you know you tried. And I did try.
I realized that both in life and golf, you just have to keep taking shots: trying to get better, pushing through the hurt, and moving on to the next shot and opportunity that you get. Coach says that we need to capitalize on every shot we take. I think that means that we have to make the best of everything – not just our amazing tee shot. It means giving it your all, and doing your best. After all isn’t that what God tells us we need to do: to make every effort to commit our ways to him and to strive to do our best for his glory.
