Play The Ball As It Lies
By Susan Klein
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit.”
Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
In the game of golf,
there is a well-known principle: “Play the ball
as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do
what is fair.” Simply implied, no matter what condition or terrain you
find your ball in, leave it that way and play to the best of your ability. Though
I don’t golf, I recently witnessed this principle in the life of an old friend.
My husband and I
were sharing our dinner table with a man we had not seen in several years. As
we caught up on each other’s lives, he spoke about his “four-year undoing,”
which ended in divorce. Saddened by this revelation, we listened intently as
the rest of the story unfolded.
One of the things I
remember best about this friend is his passion for music and his guitar. During
his recent life-struggle, his guitar became damaged and lost a couple of
strings. Seeking solace in his music and not having the resources to replace
them, he picked up the guitar and asked God for inspiration to play it, as is. Soon he was coming up with
beautiful new melodies that he had never played before with six strings.
Battered as it was,
the guitar soon gave up another string, and then… another. With each loss, he
was challenged to use what remained to create new music. Eventually he was down
to only two strings, yet on he played, persevering with what little he had
left. Sweet music came to his mind, and new songs filled his praise. This, he
felt, was the life-lesson God was giving him.
As the Apostle Paul
exhorts the Corinthian believers, “We have this treasure in jars of clay to
show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard
pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians
4:7-9, NIV)
In our human
weakness and tribulation, God’s power is at work to bring about a pleasing
melody. We need not rush to “fix” our problems, but rather, take the time to
discover how to be used by God in our brokenness. If we are willing, He has
much to show us.
Some of God’s best
music is made when we find we are down to our last strings!
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Might God be teaching you a new
song?
2. Will
you play the ball as it lies, not moving it out of the “rough?”
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is married to Mark, and
has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and
tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at
Oakwood and also co-leads a Wednesday Night Community small group.
