The ball was buried in the bunker. It
was up close enough against the lip of the sand trap that I couldn’t place both
feet in the bunker. My left foot was on the grass, my root foot in the sand. He
said, “turn the club forward, close it down” Though the ball was enfolded in
sand, I swung and popped the ball onto the green, leaving myself a putt for Par.
“That was a golf shot,” he exclaimed. It’s one of the highest compliments I
think anyone can receive on the golf course. It’s my personal favorite.
Dad usually proclaims this
affirmation after a “feel” shot - one that requires a seemingly effortless
touch to obtain both the right speed and the right direction. (You might think
that’s obviously the goal, what’s the big deal? Executing this combination is a
hell of a lot harder than it looks). One of the things I love about a golf
shot, besides the feeling of hitting the sweet spot, is that it exudes
athleticism and ease while having a stack of knowledge behind the finesse. It’s
an acquired feel, usually earned after working through the unfeeling and wrong
feeling of many previous attempts, coupled with the knowledge of the right
weight and speed of how to best approach the shot.
True on the golf course, the process of learning and pursuing excellence applies also to the spiritual life.
A repetition of virtuous action is
necessary for us to strengthen our spiritual and moral muscles. We need to
cultivate our response but also our disposition of receptivity. Is
prayer difficult for you? Feel like God doesn’t hear or that you can’t listen?
It’s like any relationship. Communication gets easier with practice. The
other day Matthew Kelly subbed for me (via Itunes) and he spoke about starting
out in prayer. He spent 10 minutes a day and in the beginning, he would
sit in the Church planning his day. After a few weeks he moved to listing all
he needed God to do, told Him to get busy, and he’d be back tomorrow. And then
he had a decision to make and Matthew asked God what did He think he should do.
He said that’s when things changed. It’s a relationship.
When I think about the beautiful gift
of married love, especially amongst the old faithful, you can see they love
with a “golf shot” kinda “feel” love. Not the Hallmark feelings kind of love
but a love that is tried and true and instinctual. Do we strive to live this
kind of love with God? When are you investing in your relationship with God today?
For how long? Where will you pray? How will you pray/listen? Maybe it’s just
setting time aside to list three things you are thankful for, maybe it’s a
rosary without distractions, maybe it’s a commitment to going to Mass and or
going to Confession before receiving the Eucharist if you previously missed
Mass. Maybe it’s praying grace before meals. Maybe it’s dusting off
the Bible to hear His promises as a personal letter for YOU. Whatever it is -
pick one. One place, one time, one way. And be open to the gift of change for
“Our lives change when our habits change.”
One of the things about a feel shot
is that there is a tempo kind of timing to it - controlled and steady. Let us
consistently live lives of extraordinary generosity. Let us be thankful to God
for all He has given and for the invitation to learn to hit the “feel shots” of
moral and spiritual excellence. Let us be transformed by Love knowing anytime
we give to the Lord it is returned exponentially as He desires our happiness
and fulfillment more than we do. We can’t love who we don’t know and we can’t
know if we don’t go - to Mass, Confession, the Bible, the classroom of silence.
Let us go joyfully.
Verso l’alto,
Kathryn Grace
But I don’t worry ‘cause
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this mama said
There'll be days like this mama said
It takes a little time sometime
to get your feet back on the ground
Walk along the river, sweet lullaby,
it just keeps on flowing,
It don’t worry ‘bout where it’s
going, ,no, no
Don’t fly, mister blue bird, I’m just
walking down the road,
Early morning sunshine tell me all I
need to know
