Several years ago I started playing golf for one of Keynote’s fund raising events, the Golf Challenge. Through the generosity of others, I’ve been able to play more in recent years and have truly fallen in love with the game. What I didn’t expect, when I took up this frustrating, wonderful game, was how much golf relates to everyday life. Here are a few tidbits:
- Even when you do everything correctly, a decent shot can land in the bunker instead of on the green – it just takes one bad bounce.
- Hazards are everywhere. Water, sand traps, deep rough. Keeping the ball in the fairway makes for a better round and a better score.
- Replacing your divots and repairing ball marks make the course more enjoyable for those playing behind you.
How I play golf and how I “steward” the golf courses I play, reflect how I live my life. Every time I play a round of golf, I notice the signs that say replace divots and repair ball marks. It’s my desire to leave the course better than I found it. That’s why I adhere to these signs and other rules like where you can drive the carts (even when they are tighter rules because of a lot of rain.) Abiding by these rules keeps the course in better shape and makes it nicer for those who come behind. I often even find myself repairing ball marks on the greens that others have made. (Mostly because I rarely hit the green from far enough away to leave a mark!)
So, how am I “stewarding” the things in my life? Do the people who come behind me find that I’ve left a positive legacy, or do they have to “clean up” after me? Do I play the game of life with the same integrity I play golf? That’s my hope and my prayer.
I continue to learn that stewardship is about way more than how I spend my money. It’s about stewarding all things that have been entrusted to me, especially, the “manifold grace of God.” [1 Peter 4:10 KJV] I may not always know what that means, but I’m willing to learn!
Question: What do you think it means to be a steward of the manifold grace of God?
Renae Nanney
Keynote
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