Stuck in the sand?

If a young golfer goes in the sand they often get very nervous and they can really mess up a good round of golf.  The reason they have so much trouble is because they only see the sand.  As they stand there in the "trap" they realize that they are standing in the unfamiliar with unsure footing.  Their golf  ball is sitting right in the middle of this crazy stuff.  Here is the problem:  They only see the sand.  They barely realize that they are supposed to hit the ball and they will sometimes even forget that their goal is the pin.

When we were out golfing on Tuesday, Zachary's ball went in the sand.  He was very excited because he saw it as a big sand box.  My advice of how to get out was quite simple.  I said, "Look only at the ball, hit only the ball and aim toward the pin."  Surprisingly, he could easily hit the ball right out.  In fact, he liked is so much, he actually dropped his ball in a couple other sand traps just for fun.  The secret - don't focus on the sand, focus on the ball and the pin.

That's not a bad lesson for life.  If you are in a "trap", don't let the trap become your focus.  Instead focus on the little ball (the plan of Jesus for your life) and aim toward the pin (the future that Jesus has for you.)  And then give it a good swing.   You may find it so fun that you welcome the next trap to come along.  Well, maybe not.  :-)