There was Yesterday, and now there is Today

   Yesterday was the pro-am for the McGladrey golf tournament. From where I walked, it was a day when the pro in the each group took another practice round on the course that he would play today. It was a day for the amateurs in each foursome to get a chance to interact on a personal level with a man that made his livelihood in that sport. It was also a day that the non-professionals got a chance to show a pro that they too could play this game.

   I saw some bad shots, some good shots, several that were ugly, and a few that could be classified as great. I saw balls in the fairway, balls in the rough, balls in the water, and balls in the waste areas. I saw some balls only briefly, before they vanished into not-findable land. I saw players hit balls that traveled 300 yards and some swings that produced a movement of only a few feet.

   But what i saw most of all were 3 men playing a game on that course on that day. I heard their banter with the pro and with each other. I saw the expressions on their faces when they scored success and when they flubbed. It was an interesting study.

   The professional in the group may not remember much of what happened yesterday. After all, it was a weekly occurrence for him, but, for the 3 men playing along with him, it will be remembered for a long time. The autographs that were signed for each of them may hang on their walls at home forever, and their exploits will be featured in their family's stories for years to come.

   Yesterday it was their day.

   Today is another one entirely.

   Today, the pro goes to work. The practice is over, and the real play begins. Today it is for real, and his scores will be tallied. The shots he made yesterday wont count except for knowledge of the course. He may play in some spots today that he did not even see yesterday. In his mind, he may see the break of the green and its speed, but today he will actually have to make the putts.

   I cannot even fathom the skills needed to play this game for money, much less the pressure of the shots, when they really count. But today I will be walking with 3 pros for whom it will not be just another day at the office. It will be another chance for each of them to highlight both their game and their mental toughness, and I look forward to observing how they handle all that will come their way.

   What will I be called on to handle today? What spots might I be in that I have not seen before? What chances to shine and what chances to flub?

   Yesterday was fun.

   Today is the real game.

   It matters how I play it.

   My prayer is to be ready to play it the way God desires.

   In golf, you play the ball where and how it lies. That is true in life, too.

   Be ready, with God's help.