Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)
Three years ago I sat across from the Executive Director of Open Hearts Ministry (OHM) and shared my dream to host a pro-am featuring tour professionals to raise funds for the ministry. On September 8, 16 Symetra and LPGA tour professionals along with 64 West Michigan amateur golfers enjoyed a warm, sunny day on the links. No one won the hole-in-one car, but we hit the target on continuing to provide training and care for individuals who have experienced stories of pain and abuse. God has given my dream flesh and I’m excited for how it will continue to evolve in the years to come.
When we made the final decision to start planning this event, the odds were stacked against us. We had less than six months to our scheduled date, I had never organized an event like this before, and the OHM staff was not golf savvy. I must admit, after playing in hundreds of pro-ams, I arrogantly believed it would come together with ease. The knowledge I brought to the table was a necessity and I learned this event involved a lot more mental, physical, and creative labor than I expected.
In the fifteenth chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul spent a significant amount of space reminding them that the Gospel is true and trustworthy. After unpacking the mystery of the resurrection of Christ and the victory we have over death through Jesus Christ, Paul ended by encouraging his readers to be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in their labor for the Lord… because it is not in vain.
Now that we are more than a week removed from a successful event, I see a number of places where our team of five was steadfast (devoted), immovable (firmly persistent), and abounding (overflowing) in what we accomplished. Doubt tried to penetrate each one of our hearts on many occasions, and we all were tempted to throw in the towel and settle for less than. But we stayed committed to our goal to the very last day and gave God everything we could to be blessed by him. Our labor was not in vain (not empty).
We started with a small idea and slowly God fed it with his living water where it reached full bloom. We successfully raised money, but more importantly the ministry staff, volunteers, participants, and myself walked away encouraged and with a renewed purpose to keep doing the Lord’s work, whether it’s with Open Hearts Ministry or other spheres of influence the Lord leads us to.
My dream to give back to Open Hearts through this event is a direct outflow of how the curriculum and leaders have personally impacted my life. I want other people to experience the same hope and freedom from the dark places in their own stories instead of holding onto what evil has meant for harm.
I believe we are created to dream big and God will co-labor with us in bringing these dreams to fruition. He is trustworthy, and today I want to encourage you to share the dreams that are hidden in your heart so that the door of possibility can swing wide open for them to take shape.
—
Tracy Hanson
September 16, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.