Buried deep within

Everyone has something they enjoy doing as a way of relaxing. Some like to fish. Some like to hunt. Some like carpentry. Some like reading. Some like painting. I have a colleague at work who spends hours and hours creating what I call a “tomato kingdom” each year. His garden has every kind of tomato imaginable.

I suppose we all need an escape from reality, if possible. Me? I like to play golf. I’m not very good at it, but I hit enough good shots to make it fun and challenging. But mostly, it’s being out in nature and hanging out with good friends that make golf enjoyable for me.

Something most golfers do on the course that they don’t do in normal day-to-day activities is talk to themselves. And some even talk to the golf ball, as if their words have anything to do with where it goes once it leaves the club. But they talk to the ball anyway. It’s funny to watch, honestly. And you can usually tell the difference between a golfer who is a Christian and a golfer who is a pagan, based on the words they utter after they hit a bad shot. Isn’t it funny how even hobbies can be a test of character?

The other day, I had just finished golfing and was putting away my bag and shoes in the car. I thought I was the only one around – even though there was a car nearby. I was talking to myself, not about golf but about the existence of God. I don’t know about you, but I find it good for my soul to go through a series of confessions every few days. I do this whenever the urge comes over me, and I don’t really care where I am. There are times I do this silently, but most times, I just say these words out loud. I guess you could call it a mantra. It’s not formal. I’ve never written it down, but it goes something like this:

I believe in God Almighty, Who is the One and only Lord over the universe. I believe in the Holy Bible. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, to save me from sin, death, and hell, and to give me a home in heaven forever when I die. I trust in Jesus. I submit my will to Jesus. God, forgive me of my sin. God, help me to resist the temptation to sin. God, thank You for Your many blessings of life. God, let me honor You with my words, deeds, and thoughts this day. Amen.

After I finished putting away everything, cranked the car, and buckled in, I noticed someone sitting in the passenger’s seat of the only other vehicle in the parking lot. His window was down. I waited for 10 seconds or so to see if he would look up so that I could ask him if he heard me. He would have had to have heard me, unless he was deaf or unless he was watching a video on his phone. But he didn’t look up, so I didn’t want to keep staring at him. I backed up and drove away hoping that he did hear me because what I said out loud to myself are the most important words anyone can hear.

I grew up in a church that repeated creeds each Sunday morning. I know creeds can get monotonous, but a solid statement of belief and faith in the Lord should never be so or become so. There is a reason almost everyone grew up repeating the Pledge of Allegiance each morning before school started. Some things are so vitally important that they need to be buried in our souls. Love and devotion for the Lord God are chief among them.