Recently, I had the pleasure to kindle a very special relationship. It actually started nearly five years ago on the municipal golf course in my hometown.
I’ve always been intrigued by the special relationship between professional golfers and their caddies. Caddies are so much more than the person who simply carries a golf bag from hole to hole.
And five years later here I am, not carrying his bag, but walking my home course with this young man assisting him in his noble attempt to make the cut and possibly win our local club championship.
It’s an experience I’ll always cherish and one deserving a few words on the topic. During the five years I’ve had the pleasure to grow closer to this young college golfer, I’ve seen him mature and gradually become more focused on life in general.
He’s now a graduate student working on his MS in Finance with an option to play one more year of college golf in Colorado. That’s a decision he’ll need to address in the coming months.
Let’s return to our discussion on the golfer/caddy relationship. These days, most professional golfers have a team of specialists around them who all participate in the potential success of the player.
The caddy is certainly the closest team member, spending most daylight and perhaps some evening hours with their boss. The caddy is a close adviser, knowing their player’s strengths and weaknesses. Players’ personalities certainly vary — some wear their emotions on their sleeve while others do an excellent job of not showing their emotions at all.
Caddies must remain in touch with their player’s physical, mental and emotional condition, and assist them in drawing all they possibly can out of their game each day they play for the significant financial rewards that are on the line. It’s not necessarily about winning, but how you progress in your career.
The game was designed to be enjoyable for those who elect to play the sport, but the stress at the professional level can be immense.
In a somewhat similar fashion, the two days I invested in my young friend’s golfing career were extremely stressful, yet satisfying and I trust impactful in his life journey, however that unfolds.
Barely missing the cut was a bit unfortunate, but I sense those two days were meaningful to both golfer and caddy. Yes, it was good to serve him as best I could!
There’s one special relationship that I’ve come to cherish more than any other. My relationship with the Creator of the Universe has grown more and more special over these many years. There’s no one I’d rather please as He orchestrates the circumstances of my life.
As much as I love golf and the challenges confronted in each round, those moments pale in comparison to the way He navigates me around the hazards of life and constantly keeps me in the short grass.
In some ways, the Holy Spirit actually acts like a spiritual caddy in the life of every believer. He is available to assist when called upon, but He also allows us to sometimes take our own initiative and sometimes suffer the consequences for our stubborn ways. Yet, He’s always present to get us back on course!
We can all find comfort in the words of Jesus found in John 14:15-16: “If you love me, you will obey what I command, And I will ask the Father, and I will give you another Comforter to be with you forever.”
That Comforter is the Holy Spirit residing in each believer. That’s the relationship that outshines every other found in this world.
The game of golf can take on lifelike similarities and we’re all wise to not attempt to walk the fairways of our lives alone.
Passages to Ponder
— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men’s Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. He can be contacted at [email protected] for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
