Hubby playing golf ?

God is a Gentlemen. Undoubtedly.

Golf is a gentleman's game. So they say.

Today is Saturday and I think that God must love golf. Why? Because golf can teach us a number of good lessons about life. 

Here are some of my thoughts about golf...

1. Golf is a game that cannot be rushed! So is life or at least the way it is meant to be lived. We ought to be walking the fairways of life and take a deep breath before the next shot!
2. Golf is usually played with a partner, but often in a group of four and once you start a game together, you cannot bail out until the end. I bet that is what God had in mind for marriage and families, whatever their size. No matter how many times you end up in the "rough" or how many bogey's you play in the game, you stick with your team right to the end!
3. Most players, of course, play with a so-called "handicap". Kind of a numerical measure of a golfer's potential based on his past, allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on somewhat equal terms. I have often wondered, based on my past, what my handicap would have to be in order to be somewhat equal with other moms. I know we ought not to compare and we are all "equal in His eyes"! But when I have a "bad mommy day" I sure wish I could raise my handicap a little. The higher the handicap of a player, the poorer the player actually is and I must admit that at least in the early years of motherhood, I must have had some pretty high handicaps. Ain't I glad we serve a forgiving God! And it is also refreshing to know that given enough practice your handicap usually does come down.
4. A good golf player learns to interpret the "variables" such as wind, terrain and other outside influences. Anything that could bring your ball off course and into the bunker. We have moods and we have needs and somehow they often seem to collide and when they do, we seem to end up in each others "bunker". So perhaps, in order to have a less stressful life, we have to stand still every now and then and learn to interpret the many variables in our day rather than just rushing down the fairway all day? 
5. But my absolute favorite rule in golf is a thing called "mulligan" which is given to a player by the other players. A mulligan is given when a player strikes a really bad shot and he's allowed to re-play the shot from where he was before, without any penalty whatsoever. The score is taken as if the first errant shot had never been made. This practice is used to speed up the game, by reducing the time spent searching for a lost ball. This in turn reduces frustration for all of the players and increases enjoyment of the game. What a perfect way to explain forgiveness in life! We all make mistakes, yet often we refuse to forgive and end up searching the "rough" for our ball. Frustrating ourselves and those around us. How much easier would it be if we just let it go? Take a mulligan...or give one! Quick, friendly and with no penalties involved. When last have you given your husband a "mulligan" or asked him for one if you made a mistake? Need I say more?

These are just some of my thoughts about golf. I think it's a good game for anyone to play. Sadly some guys have given golf a bad name, by going on drinking sprees after the game. But mine is not like that and as far as I can see...if your hubby has gone off to play golf today then cheer up! After all he's learning the basics of life. Golf is a gentleman's game. If it's played right. Let's give each other more mulligans today!

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