DISC GOLF as PRAYER

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If disc golf can be a form of prayer, and I believe it can, then I prayed hard today.

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This past week, I was given a some discs that belonged to a friend of mine who committed suicide a few years ago. Derek was a kid who I  served as Sunday school teacher to when he was in high school. As an adult, he discovered that the two of us shared a love for many things—especially disc golf, craft beer, and heavy metal music. Occasionally, we would get together and talk about God and faith and life, as well as the darkness and depression that we also shared.

He and I talked about getting together to play disc golf a couple of weeks before he took his life, so we never did get out on the course together. I wish we had. I wish we had been able to have another one of our discussions about the world and our places in it. But we didn't.

So, today, I added two of his discs into my bag and headed off to the White River disc golf course. I listened to Australasia by Pelican in the car on the way there. It was an album that he recommended to me and I picked up almost immediately after he did so.

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At White River, I exclusively used his Gateway Apache as my driver and his Gateway Element as my mid-range disc. I've never thrown Gateway discs, but I loved both of these. I am pretty sure that I'm going to use the Apache as one of main drivers, since I liked its slightly smaller diameter. It was easier for me to throw than some of my other drivers and definitely more controllable.

I played a 65 (+9) from the red tees. (All holes are par 3, except hole 14 which was par 5 and 735 feet from tee to basket.)

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I played and prayed for Derek, that he may know God's mercy and love, wherever he is as he awaits resurrection and new life in Jesus Christ. I played and prayed for Derek's family and the immense loss and sorrow that they feel in his absence, and for healing for all of them. I played and prayed for my own mourning at the death of someone so young, who seemed so full of life, but who hit a moment that he thought he couldn't escape from in any other way. I played and prayed for my own healing, since disc golf started as a form of physical therapy for me after a disc blew out in my back.

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Derek, I thank your father for the discs. I am glad that I got to play them today. I would rather you had been there on the course with me, in person, but know that I played them (and prayed them) in memory of you. Rest in peace my friend. Rest in peace.