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My Dad was a scratch golfer. When he was 75 years old, he shot a 73 on his local championship course. To say that he loved the game would be an understatement, and because of the exercise it gave him, it certainly added years to his life. He tried his best to develop his sons into golfers, and though we walked many a mile and played many a course with him, it was never a love that took root.
But golf did teach us some valuable life lessons. It taught us to look ahead to see what we faced. Was the fairway straight or crooked, and how long was it? Where were the traps? What portions of the rough should be specifically avoided? How would the slopes of the green change the roll of the ball? After figuring out where we wanted to go and what path to get there, we had to assess our lay, choose our club, and evaluate how much force to put behind it. Then of course, hit the ball … too often to our chagrin. And go through the process again and again, far more frequently than my father, until the ball rolled into the cup.
How does this relate to Lent? Lent is a time of reflection and preparation, of looking forward to Easter. We know where we’re headed, so how do we get there? What might lie in the way of our path that we could thoughtfully give up, remembering that Jesus forewent much during his 40 days in the wilderness? And then how do we approach each day, assessing it by whether and how deeply we might be in the rough, choosing what to read in scripture, and prayerfully applying the lessons to our own lives? It’s a process to do again and again, until the joy of Easter illuminates our lives.
Powell Hutton
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