Wednesday, April 3, 2002
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Wednesday, April 3, 2002 |
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Thank God for mulligans By JUDY KILGORE No, John Hatcher hasn't dyed his hair and donned glasses. He asked for a week off and, grateful for the wonderful work he does every week, we gave it to him. He will be back next week with his wonderful, thought-provoking, insightful columns. In the meantime, yours truly here has been unanimously selected to fill the space. That's good because what appears below has been saved for almost two years, waiting until I had room to run one of my "Precious Gems" columns again. This one really struck my fancy since I was born into a golfing family. It also seems particularly appropriate right now since we've just been through the Easter season which is all about new life and starting over. The following, written by the Rev. Daniel Overdorf, senior minister at the Fayetteville Christian Church, appeared in their newsletter, The Fayetteville Christian Caller, in April of 2000. I think you will enjoy it ... especially if you are a golfer. "I pulled my driver out of the bag, nervously placed the ball on a tee, and gently pushed the tee into the soft earth. It was a beautiful spring day warm but not hot, a gentle breeze but not windy. There was no other place in the world I would rather have been at that moment in time. "I shifted my body so that my shoulders were aligned with the target an orange flag rising from the manicured green, sitting comfortably at the end of the carefully mowed grass of an exquisite fairway. I addressed the ball and focused all my concentration in its 'Titelist' emblem. "After taking a deep breath, I slowly drew the golf club back over my shoulder until it was parallel with the ground. In that next moment, all of the energy and concentration I could muster culminated in the downswing of the club. The shaft of the driver whizzed through the air and, in the blink of an eye, the club met the ball. The crack sent chills down my spine I just knew the ball would sail 275 yards, straight as an arrow, down the middle of the fairway. "But, as I looked up, eyes searching intently for the ball soaring, it was nowhere to be found! Finally, I heard the sound of my ball splashing into the lake fifty yards to the right of the fairway. Ugh! My next word, and next action, will be familiar to anyone who has ever struggled through this game (which) some have called 'a nice walk spoiled.' "I reached mischievously into my pocket until my groping fingers found and clutched another golf ball. Then that word all of three syllables and eight letters, uttered by every golfer in the history of golf blurted from my lips ... 'Mulligan!' "The term 'mulligan' will be found nowhere in the Official PGA Rules of Golf. It actually means, 'more than one.' For us novice golfers, a mulligan is a chance to turn back the hands of time and pretend that a bad shot never took place. It's a 'do-over.' "Wouldn't it be nice if, in life, we could stop play and call, 'Mulligan'? Wouldn't it be great to turn back the hands of time and pretend those painfully harsh words never left our lips? Or pretend that mistake just didn't happen? Wouldn't it be nice to have mulligans in life? "Well, I've got good news for you (or perhaps the Good News) ... God gives mulligans! God grants the opportunity to start again as if, as far as he is concerned, our sins never took place. In Hebrews 10:17, God said, 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' "Resolve to start brand new with God. Lay your repentant heart open before Him and allow His grace to do its fabulous cleansing work. Sins erased, mistakes forgotten, may we strive with all our concentration and energies to live as new creatures growing and maturing daily in Him. "Thank God for mulligans!"
Judy Kilgore is Religion Editor for The Citizen |
