Welcome to a new wrinkle in Men’s Ministry at First Presbyterian of Columbus, GA. We are calling this new weekly blog GAME CHANGERS. It takes its name from the moment in an athletic contest (or ordinary daily life) when something out of the ordinary occurs to radically alter the outcome of a match or even a whole season. We hope this brief reflection will help you be more aware of and capitalize on the potential “game changers” that happen in your home, your office, your relationships, your world. Enjoy!
One of the most significant game changers in the world of the PGA Tour happened on April 8, 2012, Easter Sunday, at the Masters. I affectionately referred to this happening as the “The Other Easter Miracle” in a sermon the following Sunday. Bubba Watson hit a 140 yard wedge with a 60 yard hook out of the Georgia pines to 8 feet in a playoff on the 10th hole. After a few hugs and tears, the man from Baghdad (no, I am not making this up), Florida was slipping on a new green jacket that would change his life forever. That shot and that jacket are not the game changer I am thinking of, read on.
As awesome as the shot off the Georgia pine straw and as good as Bubba looks in Augusta Green, the most incredible thing may have happened at the trophy presentation. Bubba took the microphone, looked at it as if he had never seen one before, thanked all his “Dawg fans” (he played golf at UGA) and then thanked his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. It couldn’t have been more perfect (well, only if he had thanked his Savior first and then his fans…): on an international stage (hundreds of millions watching from across the globe); after a gutsy, miracle shot; in a sudden death playoff; on Easter Sunday. It doesn’t get any better than this! Or does it?
No doubt, Bubba Watson will look back on his Master’s victory as a “game changer”. His name will appear in perpetuity on a locker in the Champions Locker Room and has been forever sealed in the history books of golf lore. But nothing can compare to game change that occurred the day Bubba acknowledged that Jesus Christ, out of His great love and sacrifice, sealed his name eternally in the Book of Life. Life for Bubba has not and will not ever be the same. But it gets even better than this… really.
Two weeks before the Masters, Bubba and his wife, Angie, experienced another game changer. They adopted a one month old son Caleb. So it is with good reason that Bubba has not been seen on the tour for the past couple of months. Life has been a bit hectic. Bubba decided to focus on his fatherly duties that have included feeding, bonding, changing diapers and playing with his son. Plus, last week he orchestrated “Bubba Bash”, a concert featuring 10 Christian bands that raised money for a hospital in Kenya.
Yes, the game has changed quite a bit for Bubba Watson. The spotlight has gotten much brighter and much larger and he is learning to make the adjustment to the huge crowds that followed him at Jack’s tournament last week (despite not making the cut). But he is still playing for an audience of One.
How about you?