DOUBTING OUR BELIEFS

I am still thinking of yesterday’s Journal entry on ‘Believing our Doubts.’ It made me process it the other way around, or Doubting our Beliefs.

It brought to my mind all of the 40 minutes I have watched people play golf on television. It reminded me of my faith and unbelief experiences. Like the golfer I watched taking 14 practice swings before hitting a ball 40 yards off course on hole 12. That’s kind of the way prayer goes sometimes. Why do all those swings if a person has golfed for many years? I think they are stalling for courage. I have never played one game of golf… but if I did I think I would take but one practice swing and then I would swat that little white ball… Nah, I would just hammer it. No practice swings. That might also define my prayer practice.

I know in baseball it got so out-of-hand when a pitcher stood there shuffling, looking, spitting, thinking, scratching, dreaming and so-forth before pitching the ball… they put a time limit between pitches. Then I learned that golf has that rule but the players pay no attention to it. They all seem to be doubting their beliefs. I think it happens the same way in prayer.

I really don’t watch golf… I watch golf courses…they are so beautiful and kept and so Edenicly. They have sand traps, lakes, rocks, cactus, trees, bushes, flowers, islands, tall grass, weeds, swamps and hanging moss and are kept with immaculate care. The golf course without the players would be a good place for prayer and contemplation. The beauty could help us believe more and doubt less. Or, just go the Pond.

I‘m headed over to the other side of the Pond to have some Cuban Coffee and Snowball Cookies. I need to untangle golf and prayer as quickly as possible without a practice swing or lining up a golf club like a sight on a rifle.

“Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much.” Jesus