Getting on The Ball

Personal tragedy is something we all hope to avoid. But without even knowing it, you may actually be creating a real tragedy for yourself. As Norman Vincent Peale once said, "the tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it."

The following golf joke raises a critical question each of us needs to answer.

The golfer was new to the game. When his ball landed on an ant hill, he took careful aim, swung hard, and missed the ball completely. Instead of hitting the ball, he destroyed half of the ant hill.

Enraged at the miss, the golfer swung even harder a second time. He destroyed the other half of the ant hill as the golf ball went straight up in the air several feet and came down in the same spot.

Two ants crawled dizzily from the remains and looked around. One of them saw the novice golfer preparing to swing again and said, "Uh oh! If we want to survive, we'd better get on the ball!"

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

Do you need to get on the ball? The last quarter of the year will soon begin. Not long ago you were thinking about how to make 1997 better than 1996. Soon, 75% of this year will be gone. How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions or other plans for 1997? Have they been forgotten?

It's amazing how we intend to improve our lives or solve a particular problem. . .someday. But the weeks, months and years speed by, and no changes are made. Norman Vincent Peale pointed out a key reason when he said we wait too long to begin life.

You may be thinking, "I'm so busy, and time just flies by!" That's true. But since time flies, it's up to you to be the navigator.

You see, wasting time is really wasting a life. That's a tragedy. Before any more of 1997 becomes history, stop wasting time. Plan specific things you can do that will be positive for yourself and for others in various aspects of your life.

And how about your relationship with God? Will you conclude 1997 with a strong, personal relationship with Him? Now is the time to decide. As you think about the last quarter of 1997, plan ways to strengthen your relationship with God.

Don't stop with planning. Begin DOING something to improve each area of your life regularly.

You see, a good reason for doing the right thing today is tomorrow. For a better tomorrow, be diligent at navigating your life today. Those ants had the right idea--it's time to get on the ball!

"Lazy people want much but get little, while the diligent are prospering."
Proverbs 13:4 TLB

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Contributed by Rich McLawhorn email:REM@mail01.scdps.state.sc.us