By Tim Smith

Last weekend, I played great…on both days of golf! It was definitely something to build on and thoughts ran through my head that my game may be making a turn for the better. Then I got an invite to play in our Member-Member Tournament. But this past weekend, it was like I was a different person. My playing partner in the Member-Member at one point said, “I hope you get all those bad shots out of the way before the tournament.” He was only half joking!

After the round as we settled things up in the clubhouse, one of my other golf buddies said he had an opening in his foursome with a tee time after church. I REALLY, REALLY wanted to play, if for nothing else than to fix what went wrong with my game. It also would have been great to have more time with my buddies.

My response? “I’d love too but after being at church all Sunday morning, I really need to stay home.”

What if one of the greatest spiritual disciplines is simply staying?

Staying married when it gets hard.

Staying in the church when it gets messy.

Staying in a friendship when it requires effort.

Staying in prayer when it feels empty.

Staying home when everything in you wants to go out, even just for a little while.

It seems that everyone is chasing the next thing. The next opportunity. The next feeling. The next purchase that will make your life happier, easier or more fun. Or even the next version of life that finally ‘works.’ 

I am learning that God is rarely in the next thing. He’s almost always in the thing I’m trying to leave.

This week I stayed. It was a good day.

But talk to my wife and she may tell you a different story…:)