Article June 11, 2012 Issue

Golf goals and God

Parker Engel

I’d always had a passion to “be the best” at one sport, but I hadn’t been able to because I’d always put time and energy into playing multiple sports. 

Toward the end of my freshman year in high school, I started to feel that I couldn’t perform to my fullest potential unless I focused on one sport. After some prayer, I finally chose golf because I had a passion for it, and I knew I could excel at it and make progress throughout my entire life. To make this tough decision, I thought about this quote in a classic article from The Christian Science Journal called “God’s law of adjustment.” It says, “This law of adjustment is the universal law of Love, which bestows its blessings on all alike. It does not take from one and give to another. It does not withhold itself under any circumstances, but is ready and waiting to operate as soon as the invitation is given and human will is set aside” (by Adam H. Dickey, January 1916). This means to me that God’s goodness is always there, always at work and I could never be deprived. I just needed to set aside what I thought should happen and trust God. 

Since I made this decision to seriously pursue golf after a full year in high school, I knew I had a lot of work to do to make the high school golf team. My family helped me find a solid golf program that would help me achieve my goals. I started working on improving my game with every spare moment I had. When I first started, I was not performing to my highest potential. But I kept praying for guidance and the wisdom to know how to adjust my approach while practicing and playing in tournaments. Again, I went back to “God’s law of adjustment” to find some ideas to pray with. There was a part of the article that talked about what to do when we find ourselves in situations that seem hopeless. It gave me hope to know that in every case, relying on God, there is a way forward or out. 