“The Ups & Downs Of Life”

It seems that life can be like a roller coaster…. slowly climbing endless hills and then the invigorating and exciting thrills of racing down them ….  many ups and downs. 

Another analogy of life can be found in the game of golf. I’ve been trudging thru the golf courses of America off and on since I was in high school. Most of my rounds are nothing to write home about… not terrible, a few good shots,  a par here and there and even an occasional birdie. Some days I feel like getting rid of my clubs and calling it a career, yet other days I think I may have finally found the key to playing well. Well, it’s a lot like life…. “ups and downs”.

One of the lures of the “golf demon” is to allow you to hit a few good shots even while playing poorly. Just when I’m getting frustrated I hit a beautiful shot… the ball soars effortlessly into the sky….wow, look at that 180 yards down the fairway. Or you’re a 100 yards  out and lift a sky high wedge that plops down on the green and spins toward the hole. The thought swirls in my brain, “I think I’ve finally figured this game out…I’ve got it…..  I could be good at this game…”. So you play another round with high expectations, only to realize those other shots were a fluke…you’re back to “clunking along”…..auuuugh.  

Golf and life have other similarities. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. A few years ago, thanks to the encouragement of a good friend, I started to become a “student of the game”, looking to learn how to play. After a while, my scores improved and I was hitting the ball pretty consistently, shooting in the mid to high 80’s on reasonably difficult courses. I worked at it and played once a week throughout the season. It was a lot more fun. 

So, where are we going with this BLOG.  Well, while I think it may be okay to give up on the game of golf, it’s not okay to give up on life. I may never win at the game of golf, but if I don’t quit, I WILL win at the game of life. If I don’t quit, the good work that God has begun in me (and you) will be completed. “And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6) Christ will have the last word in regards to our life, and that word is victory…it’s salvation…it’s heaven. Let’s keep going forward in our life with the Lord and all will end well for us.