Handicaps

We were at again.

The Awesome Foursome as Polly would say.

Me? I'm thinkin more like...

The Terrific Trio.

Considering my pitiful abilities, I would humbly exclude myself from my peers.

Take a look at this form

Impressive, eh?

We had a great time as usual. No intimidation playing with these gals, unless you have an aversion to much laughter and cheer?




This being my third 'scored' play, I have additional figures to add to my handicap.

My more knowledgeable partners tell me...handicaps are a good thing.


That has not been my understanding.

I thought golf handicaps were simply an average of a players score, period...higher the handicap, poorer the player.

So, if you were playing with big girls they would know from the get-go, they should not to be in hurry.

This NOT necessarily the reality.

Oh, yes your partners may figure your style of play

(This would be my signature 'Squat')

could slow down the game considerably. They may choose to lather on the SPF 100 instead of SPF 50 or pack a lunch...uh...you get the picture, as everything indicates

WARNING: LONG DAY AHEAD!!

I've learned there is a lot more that goes into a golfers handicap.

For instance...according to Wikipedia 'A player's handicap is intended to show a player's potential, not his average score'


This surprised and delighted me.


I like this discovery...I really do!


This reminds me of how God sees and uses me, based on how He sees me, my potential...through Him.

In and of myself I am severely handicapped, useless by the worlds standards. If there is a bunker, water hazard, forest or rough...I will land right in the middle of it every time...drawn to it as it were.

I'm unable to stay on the fairways of life without Divine intervention, much less land on the greens.

But through Christ, I have vast potential!

Yet, until I surrender, giving up all pretense that I can do anything of value outside of Christ through me, I'm doomed to hobble along in my flesh, living with an ever increasing handicap.

Just a reminder:
While walking this sod, we are all disabled...some more visible than others. Sometimes you may never be aware of it until you hit the course with a dear brother or sister.


Many deformities are as obvious the bulky stroke counter I wore at my waist awhile back. Big and brightly colored, a glaring reminder to all, just how imperfect I am. Yet He still uses me. Broke mess that I am. Uses me in ways I could never do on my own.


I can 'dress the dress', 'walk the walk', stretch and loosen up just like a Tiger or Annika. Sometimes my practice swings look great.


Yet, when it's time to come out swinging...


Whooooa!! Duck!


What was I thinking...who was I fooling?

My personal prayer?

Lord, let me give up the charade and get honest with myself and others... may all know that I can truly do nothing without You calling the shots.

Oh that His glory may burst through my cracked and broken life.

Crippled in myself...made glorious through Him!

As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10, regarding God's answer to his notorious handicap...that thorn in his flesh.

"I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then He told me, 'My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness'. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. "

Through me... train wreck...every single time.

Through Christ all things are possible...ALL things.

I am so grateful God does not see me as I see myself, oh how lost I would be. He sees my potential, He knows what He has planned for me, what I am capable of through Him. I praise Him for it!

On that note, I leave you with the following video.

I hope this helps you understand how our heavenly Father sees us.

Oh yes! To Him we are ALL as cute and cuddly as this little fella!