horton's who
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learning about God's grace
| like golf, like life |
I know I am getting better at golf because I am hitting fewer spectators.
Gerald R. Ford
I appreciate the game of golf. I appreciate golf because I stink at playing. My late
father-in-law, Jerry, introduced me to the game with my first and only set of clubs.
Before I even knew what “tee”, “par”, or “birdie” meant, he took me out for 18
holes. (I knew how to drive the cart, though) I was impressed by his powerful
swing and how far the ball went. He was just as impressed by the amount of
breeze my swing generated, especially when I missed the ball.
Most of the time off the tee, the connection of his club and the ball made a cool
“ping”, while mine sounded like, “click”. They say no matter what kind of horrible
game you have, if only one good shot is made, you want to come back. That’s true
because I continued to play game after game with only one good shot to brag
about. One time Jerry had a bad shot off the tee and said, “Mulligan”, and second
tried a better shot. I learned that - Mulligan – means a do-over of a bad shot.
Mulligan’s are the best because I hit a lot of stinky shots. I’m not a pro and pretty
much make up rules as I play golf, so I mulligan all of the time. I only wish there
were mulligan’s in life. Like golf, like life – I hit a lot of stinky shots.
Jeremiah 18:4 – Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as
sometimes happens when you’re working with clay, the potter would simply start
over and use the same clay to make another pot.
The Message
Out of 23 verses in Jeremiah 18, verse 4 is about the only redemptive, hopeful
one. This chapter is about the plans of disaster and punishment against Israel
because of sin and disobedience. God uses the picture of a potter making clay
pots. If the clay marred while making a pot, the potter would just start over. God is
the potter and Israel is the clay. God is not the reason the pot was marred or
turned out badly. But Israel is at fault. God, however, does want to make Israel into
something beautiful, so since the pot turned out badly, God will crush it, mold it,
and form the same piece of clay again until a beautiful work is complete.
This makes me hopeful. Again – I stink at golf. My shots off the tee frequently slice
(bend to the right), burrow into deep grass, sink to the bottom of ponds, and many
times I just lose the ball. I use my do-overs or Mulligan’s every chance I get.
Like golf, like life. Sometimes my shots are off, I get buried in the rough, I sink to
the bottom of deep water, and I get lost. I really, really need a do-over. As
sometimes happens when you’re working with clay, it turns out badly.
The hopeful part is that God knows, God sees, and God is the only One who can
make it right. God needs control to mold and form your life as He sees fit. The pot
is marred at times because of our mistakes, sin, and disobedience. But God
wants to make a beautiful work of your life. The do-over belongs to Him. The
Mulligan is His to take. Give up and allow God to make out of you want He wants –
He doesn’t hit stinky shots.
Gerald R. Ford
I appreciate the game of golf. I appreciate golf because I stink at playing. My late
father-in-law, Jerry, introduced me to the game with my first and only set of clubs.
Before I even knew what “tee”, “par”, or “birdie” meant, he took me out for 18
holes. (I knew how to drive the cart, though) I was impressed by his powerful
swing and how far the ball went. He was just as impressed by the amount of
breeze my swing generated, especially when I missed the ball.
Most of the time off the tee, the connection of his club and the ball made a cool
“ping”, while mine sounded like, “click”. They say no matter what kind of horrible
game you have, if only one good shot is made, you want to come back. That’s true
because I continued to play game after game with only one good shot to brag
about. One time Jerry had a bad shot off the tee and said, “Mulligan”, and second
tried a better shot. I learned that - Mulligan – means a do-over of a bad shot.
Mulligan’s are the best because I hit a lot of stinky shots. I’m not a pro and pretty
much make up rules as I play golf, so I mulligan all of the time. I only wish there
were mulligan’s in life. Like golf, like life – I hit a lot of stinky shots.
Jeremiah 18:4 – Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as
sometimes happens when you’re working with clay, the potter would simply start
over and use the same clay to make another pot.
The Message
Out of 23 verses in Jeremiah 18, verse 4 is about the only redemptive, hopeful
one. This chapter is about the plans of disaster and punishment against Israel
because of sin and disobedience. God uses the picture of a potter making clay
pots. If the clay marred while making a pot, the potter would just start over. God is
the potter and Israel is the clay. God is not the reason the pot was marred or
turned out badly. But Israel is at fault. God, however, does want to make Israel into
something beautiful, so since the pot turned out badly, God will crush it, mold it,
and form the same piece of clay again until a beautiful work is complete.
This makes me hopeful. Again – I stink at golf. My shots off the tee frequently slice
(bend to the right), burrow into deep grass, sink to the bottom of ponds, and many
times I just lose the ball. I use my do-overs or Mulligan’s every chance I get.
Like golf, like life. Sometimes my shots are off, I get buried in the rough, I sink to
the bottom of deep water, and I get lost. I really, really need a do-over. As
sometimes happens when you’re working with clay, it turns out badly.
The hopeful part is that God knows, God sees, and God is the only One who can
make it right. God needs control to mold and form your life as He sees fit. The pot
is marred at times because of our mistakes, sin, and disobedience. But God
wants to make a beautiful work of your life. The do-over belongs to Him. The
Mulligan is His to take. Give up and allow God to make out of you want He wants –
He doesn’t hit stinky shots.