Am I Third? (God, others, me)

This is a tough one for a self-centered guy like me.

My reading this morning really hit me square in the face!! "When we come to the end of our lives on earth, we will not take any material things with us. We will not take one cent in our cold, dead hands. The only things we may take are the things we have given away".

If we have helped others or if we have given of our time and money, some of this will continue to work on earth after we are long gone. Looking back over our lives, what are we most proud of? Not what we have gained in financial wealth or material things but what few good deeds have we done for others? Those are the things we should be most proud of and every day we should try and think Am I third?

Keeping with the golf theme, what is it I'm most proud of?

1. That I have played many fantastic golf courses?
2. That I have been to Augusta?
3. That I won my flight in a golf tournament?
4. That I had a hole in one?

All of these are great in my eyes. But, should I not be more proud of the fact I started an annual fundraising golf event 16 years ago and it is still alive and benefitting young men at Transy or when a friend was having a really tough time in life and invited me to play golf and all he wanted was for me to simply listen OR the fact that through golf I have been able to develop many great relationships and learned a few life lessons.

These are the few good deeds that I have accomplished in golf and that I should be proud of in the long run. Not the putts made or the drives hit, but the fact I put another person, and God, in front of my own desires.

Am I third today? How about you?

Keep it in the fairway.

Chris