Who's Your Caddy?

When a golfer walks onto the tee he has already done several things. He has examined the length and layout of the hole he is about to play, tested the wind speed and direction, and selected a club to use. He already knows his strengths and weaknesses. Executing the shot is all that remains.

Life is a fairway. God designed the hole, He designed and created you, and you, my friends, are the ball.

Think about it. At the beginning of our lives we are on the tee. At the end of our lives we wind up in a hole in the ground. And in between those two things there are obstacles to navigate. Trees, bunkers, ponds, out-of-bounds areas for the golfer. "Life" is what we call those challenges for a human.

We humans might battle cancer or a disability, we might have other challenges that make our goal a struggle but it is how we meet those obstacles in life that really defines who we are.

All golfers get frustrated, some might break a club over their knee in their anger. It's not the club's fault, it's the wielder's fault and his lack of ability to use the club properly.

Do we face life's challenges correctly? Do we make good life decisions as we encounter obstacles or "sand traps" on a given day? We each take our best shot and live with the results, right?

I'm forgetting to mention one thing here. The caddy.

We've all seen golfers on television as they try to sink that long putt or make that perfect fairway drive. But have we noticed the caddy at all? He's the one who hands the golfer the right club. The caddy knows the course. He knows all the distances and pin placements.

The caddy offers experienced suggestions to the golfer. It's up to the golfer to heed them or ignore them.

Our walk with Jesus is much like playing golf. The course has been deigned for us. We have a set of rules we must follow. It's our job to navigate life's course, within the rules - obstacles and all. If we listen to our "caddy" (The Holy Spirit), use all the tools and gifts God has given us to use, we will do just fine.

And when we are done "playing" in this life we who listen to and follow our caddy's advice will enjoy a nice cold one in the clubhouse when it's all over. I'm just guessing on that one . . .

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." - Proverbs 16:9