Over the weekend, Mark and I played golf. It is one of our favorite activities to do together. It was very serene and quiet on the golf course...not too many golfers which was wonderful. Mark always says "Today, we played on our private golf course!" We are still getting our feet under this sport, but the quiet beauty that surrounds us and the opportunity to spend time together supersedes our game. We only have our personal head games to deal with when we hit our ball. I am often inconsistent...I have days that my drives are long and I am hopeful...then there are other times that seems to be a frustrating and maddening. I realized that it is all about my grip. Sounds a little like life doesn't it? How tight is your grip on your life?
I love to walk the course as I play; it gives me time to think about what I did incorrectly and sometimes beam with pride because I had a success. Doing something well makes us happy doesn't it?....while doing poorly can cause our alter ego to appear. I didn't have a bad game, but I noticed that when I loosened my grip, my bright yellow ball sailed much further. I began to see that when I became frustrated, my grip was so tight that the ball fell flat or didn't go nearly as far. Sam Snead, a famous golfer said that it was important to "hold the club as if you had a little baby bird in your hand. He said, to keep a bird in your hands, you have to grasp it well enough that it doesn't fly away. But birds are delicate creatures, so you also have to hold one gently enough not to harm it."
Isn't that how life is? This is the time of year when many parents have teens graduating from high school. I remember it being a joyful time of celebration, but the letting go of each of my children was sooo very hard. The tighter we hold on....the more they resist. They are ready to take flight and we want them to remain in our nest. I think as parents we have to learn to hold them gently and allow them to sore so they will want to return home. Letting go, loosening your grip isn't easy when it comes to your children. Proverbs 22:6 is the best scripture to help with this. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Of course that is true for girls too!
Maybe your grip is wrapped around an illness, or a crisis. What is your Modus Opertendi? I often go into my "in-charge" mode; trying to be sure everything is under control....only to learn that I am not in charge or in control in so many ways. I have to loosen my grip and look up to God with prayers asking for guidance in the situation. I have always found that God shows up when I loosen my grip.
How tight is your grip right now? Covid-19 has so many scared, and worried about re-entering the world that we all used to enjoy. Friendships, family gatherings, dinners out have been cancelled for a year. How do we begin to loosen the grip of fear from this pandemic? 1Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." Try looking up to God, the source of strength that we all need. He will give us the ability to loosen our grip a little more each day as we trust Him.
Blessing to you all for this coming week.
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