12-43pm
If you take two steps forward and then one step back, then two steps forward, then one step back, progress is very slow.
That’s how it seems to go with Mike’s golf! He gets a lot of practice – going to the driving range and hitting hundreds of balls. When he played in his work competition, he played brilliantly and assisted the team in winning the cup, but since then, his golf has been not as great as it could be. Despite ongoing practice and moments of genius on the course, his score card is not showing a dramatic improvement. He’s in the ‘one step back’ zone. Sometimes, you see it in the overall view of his game. Other times, I see it within his game. He suddenly hits his stride and we march two steps forward, confident he’s going to play brilliantly for the rest of the round, only to have it come crashing down on the third hole. Two steps forward, one step back.
And so it is in life. We can’t all be brilliant all the time. No one has a perfect life, no matter what their Facebook pictures display! Golf is a great leveller. Just because you birdie one hole, doesn’t mean you will birdie the next. There is a birdie in your future, but there are also lots of bogies and hopefully plenty of pars too.
There are plenty of lessons of how golf parallels life. Keep focussed, don’t rush, take it easy, enjoy the environment, have fun. If you mess up, just keep going. Do the best you can. Take each shot (day) as it comes. Think before you act. Don’t lose your temper. Lower your expectations.
Our jaunt around Swellendam Golf Course on Friday was really enjoyable. The views are spectacular…
Country golf at its best. Swellendam Golf Course facilities are pretty basic, but the course is well cared for and maintained. There is a very friendly air of golfing companionship among the player. It’s a great place to visit.
We have also been following the Nedbank Golf Challenge on at Sun City. Pity the South African’s are not higher up the leader board.
There are two other things that most people are talking about. The first that impacts our lives day by day is the load shedding….power outages across the country. I heard that they had suspended load shedding for today, so we should have 24 hours of non stop electricity for the first time in a few days. We’ll wait and see if this continues.
The second major news item is the dreadful death of Pierre Korkie. What I gather is that the US went in on a mission to rescue Luke Somers. According to news reports, they did not know he was with Pierre Korkie.
Both families are devastated. Remember to pray for them. I’m still praying for Hannelie Groenewald. I’m not sure when she is back in South Africa. It’s no small thing to try and get home with no documents….it’s even bigger when you are trying to bring home the bodies of your family. So when you come to this page and you see the Pray for Hannelie wallpaper, that’s what it’s all about. It’s about praying for a wife and mother, whose husband and two children were killed because they were believed to be ‘secret missionaries.’ Hannelie escaped death because she was not at home at the time. Pray for her. These words Jesus spoke at the start of His ministry…
Isaiah 61:1-3
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Jesus will do these things for the families who are grieving at this time.
Just address the next ball.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Gratitude – Fish Hoek Beach 7am Sunday 7th December 2014
