Lent 2025 Day 11: Keep Going, One Shot at a Time
- Flannel Diaries
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️ Enjoy your green beer and corned beef and cabbage!
It's a fairly warm day, so I'll probably head out and play a round of golf. I decided in my 30s that when I turned 40, I would start playing golf—it just seemed like a good sport to take up in my 40s. After I turned 41, I figured it was time to actually follow through.
I found out my friend Amy Monson played golf, so I asked if she could teach me how to play. I had never played in my life beyond putt-putt golf and a single trip to the driving range. That was it. I had no real golf history.
I played multiple sports in high school—tennis, basketball, track & field—and even played on a women’s intramural softball team in my 20s. So, while I might not look like it, I’m a fairly athletic person. I figured if I could hit a fast-moving ball with a racket, surely I could hit a tiny ball with a stick.
Turns out, golf is way more complicated than just hitting a ball with a stick. Getting that ball into a tiny hole without sending it into the woods, a pond, or a sand trap? That’s a different story. (I’m very good at doing that.)
I bought a cheap set of clubs because I wasn’t even sure if I’d like the game. I met up with Amy at Lewiston Golf & Country Club—a small, rural 9-hole course surrounded by cornfields. It was the perfect place for my first real round of golf.
I was surprised when, after Amy showed me the basics—how to swing, how to keep my eye on the ball—she suggested we go ahead and play a full round. I wasn’t good, but I was hooked. I loved it. And Amy was patient and kind, which made all the difference.
It was one of the best days—hanging out with a good friend, searching for my lost balls in the cornfields (pun intended), drinking some beers, and eating a chicken sandwich in the clubhouse. What more could you ask for on a day off?
The Peace of the Game
When my mind gets full of racing thoughts and clutter, I find that being on the golf course helps me slow down. It gives me something to focus on—a tiny ball, a tiny hole, one shot at a time.
I used to think golf was an old white man’s elitist game. It didn’t seem accessible to people like me. I never expected to love it as much as I do. Not everyone has four hours to spend playing 18 holes, but if you do, there’s nothing better than walking a golf course on a warm, clear day, taking in the view and fresh air. Sometimes, there’s no one else out there—it’s just you, the ball, and the next shot.
I play with friends, but I’ve realized I love playing alone. It’s one of the few times where my mind is completely quiet. I’m not thinking about work, life, stress—I’m just thinking about that little ball and keeping it out of the pond.
Over the years, I’ve upgraded my clubs a few times. The first time was after a breakup—a gift to myself, because why not? I even convinced my friend Brandy to love golf. She’s one of the few people willing to golf with me when the ponds are still frozen.
Brandy, "Why are we doing this?"
Me, "Because we love golf. And we’re Minnesotan."
Golf & Life: Lessons in Persistence
Golf is a lot like life. One moment, you make an absolutely terrible shot. But the next? You hit something spectacularly beautiful.
It takes persistence. Patience. Practice. Three things that can make us better at anything—including golf.
I’m good at a lot of things because I love to learn and I have a tenacious personality. I’m never going to go pro, but every season, I get a little bit better.
Golf even helped rehabilitate my back after my 2017 injury. It took two years, but now? My back has never felt better. (And if you’ve ever herniated a disc, you know—it sucks. A lot.)
Lenten Reflection: Keep Going, One Shot at a Time
Lent is a season of self-reflection, discipline, and growth.
Romans 5:3-4 reminds us: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Like golf, like life, like faith—sometimes, we make terrible shots. We end up in the rough, in the sand trap, or in the water. We get frustrated, we doubt ourselves, we wonder why we even bother.
But perseverance is the key. We keep swinging. We adjust. We try again. And eventually, we make progress.
That’s what Lent is about—sticking with it, even when it’s hard. Even when it’s messy. Even when we don’t see the results right away.
The fairway may be long, the course unpredictable, but if we keep taking the next shot, step by step, we’ll get there.
☘️ Happy St. Patrick’s Day—may your shots be straight, your beers be cold, and your faith be persistent. 🏌🏽♂️✨
Take care of yourselves and take care of each other.
Read my Lenten Reflections at: https://www.flanneldiaries.com link in bio.
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