Katrick: With God all, all things are possible – Even a good golf swing
By this time of the new year, I’ve already had my fill of winter. So my thoughts turn to spring and whether or not to buy that new set of golf clubs I’ve written about before. At my last outing of the fall, the annual pastor’s tournament sponsored by The River, I played just well enough to believe that maybe this is the time to “spring” for them, (pun intended).
I played my round with a handicap, and not the kind with numbers that indicate your abilities as a golfer (or lack thereof). The day before, I had gotten my Covid booster shot, leaving me with an aching, throbbing arm, that I could barely raise above my head.
But my golfing buddies from church wouldn’t let me give up, insisting that I “follow through” (another pun intended). They even arranged for my own “cart”, so I could “stay on the right path,” in case I needed to quit. (How many puns can a person squeeze into one column?)
There was no quitting in me that day. Call it a combination of the warm sunshine, the bright blue October skies, and having fellowship with great friends who don’t let you take yourself (or your game) too seriously, but I made it right through to the end on what is arguably the longest and most difficult hole on the course.
One of the many benefits of that day was that my so called handicap was anything but. It caused me to make necessary adjustments in my follow through. Thus I was able to avoid my wildly, wide-arcing swing that often lands you in sand traps, water hazards and woods.
This reminded me that besides praying for God to ease your pain, the next best thing is praying for God’s perseverant Spirit to help you play through it. It helped me to pay less attention to what was written down on the scorecard and pay more attention to my surroundings, and the beauty of the earth. And it showed me what having a little faith and determination can accomplish, and that with God, all things are indeed possible.
Unlike persons who live their whole lives with and bravely overcome significant disabilities, what I had was nothing more than a temporary inconvenience with all the added long-term benefits you receive from a vaccination.
More importantly, I benefited from knowing that while you’re praying to be able to lift your left arm above your shoulder, God will give you all that is needed to lift your spirits, until you can.
The Rev. Mark Katrick is at St John's UCC.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Katrick: With God all, all things are possible – Even a good golf swing
