Fore!!
Fore!!
In golf, it is appropriate to yell "Fore" if someone is in the path of a hit ball. What does God do to get our attention?
Last weekend, Trinity was in Kentucky playing volleyball and Peyton had a golf match in Morris on Saturday, the 13th. My plan had been to go to the golf match and watch my boy. However on Friday I wasn't feeling the greatest and was thinking I might stay home Saturday, relax, read a book, take it easy. I don't particularly enjoy golf - I think the ball is too small and the sticks are too skinny!! However, I do love my son and he loves golf, so I went to golf. It was a beautiful spring day. No rain, the wind wasn't terrible. I was glad to be there once I got to the course and got all my gear ready - you know extra clothes, blankets, snacks, etc. Peyton was paired up with a young man from Ottawa, Jonathan, who played for IVCC. At the first hole, I met Jonathan's dad, who teaches and coaches at Ottawa, so we chatted. A few holes later Jonathan's mom drove up in a cart and introduced herself. Her name was Sally. She and I chatted a little bit as the boys played.
I believe God put Sally and me in each other's path last weekend. As the boys continued golfing, we continued talking. We talked about so many topics and our lives had several similarities. She was an "older" mom - 39 when she had her son; I was 35 when I had Peyton. She was a former teacher; same for me. She quit teaching to stay home with her son; so did I. She had a set of twins that were 16; I'm a twin and Peyton is a twin. One of her twins had a heart defect and so did her oldest son; Peyton and Hayley both had heart issues. Her daughter spent time in the NICU; both of my daughters did too.
It was unbelievable. She said she didn't usually share all of this information with people, but she felt compelled to share it with me. She of course was sympathetic to my losses, but we had so much more in common. She said despite the tough times, she knew God was with her and carried her family through their challenges. I nodded my head in agreement. She said, "I know God is working in your life. I can just tell." I didn't know what to say. I finally said, "Well He tries, but I don't always make it easy for Him."
We continued to talk about the blessings in our lives and seeking those blessings through the struggles and challenges. She confessed to not always understanding why things happen, but we agreed that God has a definite plan. A few times we got so busy talking that we had to catch up to the boys on the next hole. It was as if we had known each other for years. By the time the 18 holes were over, neither of us knew how Jonathan or Peyton actually golfed, but we both knew that something big had happened. We had a great round of conversation, shared holy moments, and formed a new friendship with a kindred spirit in a very unlikely place. As they boys were turning in their scorecards and putting their bags away, Sally and I said goodbye, hugged and said that we hoped to see each other at another match this season.
Peyton later asked if I had a good day. I said it was a great day. He said, “Do you even know how I golfed today?” I started to say something, but he stopped me. He said, "It's ok. I saw you and Jonathan's mom talking. I think it's cool that you made a new friend." I think it's cool that my son knows me well enough to know that I was physically present, but God provided so much more. I haven't been able to connect this to a Bible verse as I planned this writing this week. I've had lots of different verses I've prayed about, but I think maybe He didn't use a verse to get my attention this week. He used golf and another mother who showed up to support her child and helped me to count my blessings.