“Which path should I take?” That was the question he pondered all the while contemplating the correct changes he needed to make for his life going forward. Actually, there were two things going on simultaneously in this instance. Now that you’re completely confused, let me start from the beginning.
What unfolded that day became a reminder that God’s direction is not always loud or dramatic; sometimes it arrives through a simple interruption, a delayed tee time, or a person placed directly in our path.
Life and the schedule it’s handed me has been somewhat hectic lately, so Sunday evening I said to my wife, “I think I’m going to play some golf tomorrow afternoon, and I think I’ll go solo ... just needing to unwind from the grind I’ve been under.” So here’s the way it turned out.
The First Prayer
I arrived at the course, and the time came for me to head to the first tee. This particular course has an unusual feature in that it actually has a practice hole or warm up hole before you start your 18-hole adventure. I could see a three-some ahead of me and they looked to be having trouble on the practice hole. That’s ok, its golf, right? At any rate, they finished and moved on to the first tee meanwhile, I finished the practice hole and proceeded to the first tee myself.
As I approached the first tee, the three-some was still there and they began motioning me on as if they wanted me to go ahead of them. And sure enough, they kindly asked me if I would like to go ahead of them because they were, in their words, “not very good.” So, I accepted their invitation graciously and proceeded to the tee box.
Before I could tee off, one of the men started talking to me. It was obvious that he had been in some kind of accident and had left him with difficulty in speaking clearly. He began by saying, “Don’t I know you? You look familiar.” I can’t begin to explain how difficult it was to understand him, but it was very clear to me that he needed to make an attempt at explaining his condition. His son very gently stepped in and tried to intervene. So, I asked him if he would mind if I prayed for him to which he agreed. So that’s how my round of golf started, but there was more to come.
The Second Encounter
I finished the front nine and continued on to the back nine, playing the first four holes by myself but suddenly got slowed to almost a crawl due to slower golf groups in front of me. That’s when the second interesting encounter occurred as a young gentleman (in his 20’s) caught up with me. Due to the slow play, I invited him to join me for the rest of the round.
In the process of introduction, I asked what type of job he had and then he asked if I was still working (I guess I’m showing my age) to which I said, “yes, I’m a pastor.” That’s when he said, “you know, I was just thinking that I need to have a Jesus encounter and experience a change in my life.” He shared some personal struggles that he was going through and I said, perhaps this was the time for Him to allow Jesus to help with those struggles, giving him a breakthrough as well as a new direction.
I proceeded to tell him that he was young, and the Lord needs young men like him to be strong and serve him and that when we finished the round, I would love to pray for him. He responded, “I’d like that.”
We came to the end of the round and I simply asked If I could pray with him to which he agreed. We even exchanged information so we could possibly play a round together on another occasion. And there you have it, I started my round praying with someone on the 1st tee and ended my round praying with someone on the 18th green. But that’s not where the story ends ...
The Confirmation
The next day, I sent him a message expressing how I had enjoyed meeting him and having the opportunity to not only play golf together but being able to agree with him in prayer. Now this is where it gets really interesting as he said: “I was thinking about golf yesterday and how I managed to meet you. When I made the turn after my front nine, the starter told me to choose whichever nine I haven’t played yet (there was a choice of two different nine holes) and go play. My initial thought was to go down one of them, but I asked Jesus before taking me on my path to change the course for a better. And sure enough, I met you.”
My response was simply “Wow! That just proves how much Jesus desires to be a part of our lives. I’m so thankful I was there, in the right place at the right time. I’m believing your best days are ahead of you as you continually draw close to Jesus! Hey, let’s play more golf soon!”
These encounters may not seem like much to you, but to me, they prove that God still sets Divine Appointments for us. To the man on the first tee who desperately needed someone to just take the time to listen to him. I could almost sense the frustration coming from him due to the difficulty in communicating. Then there's the young man ... in that moment he was doing more than simply choosing which path to take on the golf course, he was asking Jesus for the spiritual direction he needed to be taking. Was it a chance encounter? Not on your life, in each case this was a God moment for both of us. Confirmation to both men and an opportunity for me to pour into their lives!
I’m reminded of what the writer of Proverbs tells us:
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us ... “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do,
and He will show you which path to take.”
So, the next time life feels interrupted, delayed, or unexpectedly redirected, may we pause long enough to consider that God may be arranging something greater than we can see. The path He reveals may not always be the one we expected, but when we trust Him enough to follow, even an ordinary moment can become a place where His purpose meets our obedience.
Think about it my friend and have a wonderful day!