Hole in One

by Joyce Sykes
Published October 27, 2006

Have you ever compared life to various sports? How would your life be represented? Are you a person who endeavors to play life by your self, involving yourself with no one and nothing? On the other hand, maybe you are someone who has to play to the audience; you need people to see what a great and mighty player you are in the Kingdom of God.

Perhaps your life is best described as a game of golf. Notice I did not say a good game of golf. It’s just you, your club and one little white ball. No one else is on the green but you. You are out to enjoy the whole course all by yourself. But, suddenly the game goes so wrong. Every strike of the club spins the ball off to the left or right, never in the direction you want. There are the sand pits and of course the dreaded pond that permanently derail your game. What’s worst, no one is even around to moan and groan with you over your fate.

Or, your life is consistent with a racetrack, not just any old track but the Indy 500. You have a great set of new tires; a full tank of gas and everyone else on the track is trailing behind in your exhaust fumes. Suddenly the check engine light appears, the engine spits and sputters. Smoke is pouring out from the edges of the hood. Rapidly, everyone else passes you by faster than the speed of light. You limp your way back to pit stop, feeling once more like life has passed you by.

In basketball, the enemy can slip up and snag the ball as you dribble down the court. Sometimes, the opposite team members double-team a player to hinder the ball from being passed to someone in place for that perfect shot. Footballs are fumbled and intercepted by the other team. The interceptor is able to run down the field to win a touchdown shot for his team. Then there are the baseball games. The bases are loaded, with two outs in this ending. It’s your turn up at bat. You hit a magnificent pitch. It’s flying high in the air. Everyone is cheering. Suddenly the outfielder leaps up at the fence and your fly ball lands perfectly in his mitt. Game is over and your team lost by two runs.

Too often, this is how it feels in our life. No matter how we turn, we just can’t win the game. We lose focus on our goal, feeling drained and worn out. Then the enemy comes in deliberately to hinder us from running the race. We struggle with feelings of failure and inadequacy, feeling alone and discouraged. However, the Lord never intended us to play this game of life alone.

Our life should resemble a relay marathon. While one runner is sprinting, another one is preparing to run. For a brief time, they run in step as they strive to both pass and grab the baton. At the same time, the other team players are cheering for their running mates. Their shouts of encouragement rejuvenate the runners even as their muscles revolt against the frantic pace. The game is won by teamwork. No one person won the game; the team ran together and they won together.

We are exhorted through out Scripture to encourage one another. Just as the other sprinters scream out words to lift their partners spirits we are to do the same thing with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. A hug, handshake, phone call or card can benefit someone greatly who is struggling with his or her stretch of the course. Each little word will remind them that they are not in this race alone. Others have already run that section of the course and know how tiring it is. Yet, they made it through and now stand on the sidelines lifting their voice to support the present runner.

Viewed 272 times