I don’t watch golf. It’s one of those sports I don’t really understand (see also soccer and water polo). But I do watch the news. Don’t worry – I promise those two things are related.
Earlier this week, I saw a news story about a golfer named Scottie Scheffler. Apparently, he’s a big deal. He’s won a lot of tournaments (Trophies? Titles? Awards? See, I told you I don’t know anything about golf). Initially, I was mostly tuned out to the newscast, but something he said caught my attention. I put my phone down to listen more.
Who is Scottie?
Scottie is young, only 29. He holds an Olympic gold medal, as well as ranking as the number one golfer in the world according to the Official World Golf Ranking. And he has won two Masters Tournaments and a PGA Championship.
Despite his extensive golf resume, Scottie made a surprising confession at a press conference this week.
“What’s the point? This is not a fulfilling life.”
He openly admitted that, for him, winning isn’t fulfilling. That intrigued me, since you would think someone who wins at a game for a living would find it fulfilling, at least on some level.
The honesty was surprising and refreshing. You don’t expect a world-class athlete to admit to the unfulfilling nature of winning. It’s so infrequent that you can actually hear the journalists laugh during the interview in that uncomfortable, we-don’t-really-know-how-to-react-to-this way.
Watching the interview, I started thinking – what does satisfy? What is the point?
What is the Point?
Spoiler alert: I don’t have the answer. At least not one that would cover the bases for my (hopefully) diverse group of readers. But I can tell you what I think the point is.
I can’t say that I feel my life is particularly fulfilling. It’s not not fulfilling either, though. It’s just my life. Most days look pretty similar right now, and raising and entertaining young kids takes up most of my time. And feeding them. I feel like those kids eat all the time.
From the outside, Scottie seems to have it all. He makes really good money doing something he loves. And he’s good at the thing he does. But he mentions early in the interview that “it feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like, a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling.”
As Scottie well knows, fleeting applause doesn’t equal fulfillment, and fame doesn’t equate to being known.
What if fulfillment doesn’t come with fame and accolades but in living well in the ordinary. Pressing into the people and places closest to us; loving and serving those nearest to us.
What if Fulfillment is Smaller Than We Think
Hopefully, it’s no secret that I’m a Christian. I work, in my own quiet way, to learn more about what relationships between people, and a relationship with God, looks like in light of the saving love and grace of Jesus. I’m far from perfect at it – both the learning and the doing.
But in viewing the world through the lens of faith, I’m learning often our sphere of influence, and the places we feel most at home, are smaller than we think.
In her book, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, Shannan Martin writes, “Rather than feeling stuck in a problem-sodden world I would never be able to fix, God was caring for my soul by pointing me toward my corner of it and asking me to believe it was enough.”
I think Scottie hits the nail on the head later on in the interview. He prioritizes his family. “If my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or with my son, you know, that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.”
God is in both the extraordinary and the ordinary. Mundane, ordinary, and routine aren’t boring words. Instead, they’re an opportunity to pay closer attention.
Being attentive in the everyday allows us to see where God is already at work. And in partnering with him, loving and serving those closest to us, brings the very fulfillment we were looking for.
