You don’t have to be a golf fan to admire what J.J. Spaun did last Sunday in the final round of the U.S. Open.  Spaun had led or been near the lead in the previous three rounds at Oakmont Country Club, which was proving to be a terribly difficult course, frustrating the world’s best players.

As the final 18 holes began, Spaun bogeyed five of his first six holes, leaving him well behind several other players.  Then, a lengthy rain delay occurred, which made the course even more difficult to manage. However, Spaun used the rain delay to reset himself and regain not only his composure but also his focus and determination.

As Spaun clawed back into contention for the lead, he came to the final two holes one stroke off the lead. On the short 17th par four, he drove the green and made a birdie to put him one stroke ahead of the previous leader who had just bogeyed.  Then on the 18th green, he  sank a 60 foot putt to win the tournament, his first major championship, by two strokes at the age of 35. Watching Spaun, at an age when many pros are beginning to fade, hugging his caddy, his wife, and two daughters on the biggest Father’s Day of his life was truly a moving sight.

Spaun took what could have been a major disappointment and turned it into an amazing victory under extremely challenging circumstances.  He used the rain delay to regroup and make a fresh start, determined to play his very best.

We all need time to stop what we’re doing to catch our breath, reset our attitude, and refresh our spirits. God really gave humans a wonderful gift in the fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.”  Sabbath can really be understood to mean “stop doing what you ordinarily do.” The commandment to rest and keep some time holy is really a reminder that we all need to stop, reflect, pray, and focus on eternal things, on what matters most in life.  That’s one reason why prayer and meditation, study of scripture, and worship are so important in Christian living.  These spiritual disciplines provide us opportunity to get our minds and spirits refocused, refreshed, and redirected so we won’t look back and see only missed opportunities for a joy-filled, fruitful, and faithful life.

Other spiritual disciples that help us reset are service and generosity.  When we serve those in need, offering ourselves in God’s work, when we make sure to share a portion of what we have, we are avoiding being trapped by the craziness of society or the angers, regrets, and frustrations that weigh so heavily on the spirits of many people.  Making sure that you have regular times of “reset,” of real Sabbath, can help ensure that life has meaning, joy, and adventure, can redirect you from trivialities to deeper things, and can open your heart and mind to God’s purposes for your life.   It may very well be that, in the things that really matter, the right kind of “rain delay” may be a blessing for you.

    Forward in Faith,