What Tiger?

Elk at Eden Valley

Have you given the Tiger a thought lately? Tiger Woods I mean. I genuinely feel for him, don't you? He worked hard to become the best golfer in the world and it looks to all like he succeeded marvelously, didn't he? Will it mean anything, if in the end he is no more than another cheap punk (albeit, with talent?) If you or I succeed spiritually, but fails at an attempt at business, sports, politics . . . few would care, but which would you rather? A big name in the world (with big bucks), but disdained of heaven and family? Or no name in this world, but honest, dependable, self-sacrificing, generous and loved of all, including heaven?

I have long realized that no matter what I accomplish, I will never be special. When I look at the way God led me as compared to the way my extended family chose to go, it appears that God did a great work for me. And He did, but I, in the thing am not great.

Some think themselves great for scaling Mount Everest. It's a huge physical drain, to be sure, and to come back alive is merciful, but is that great? Is it greatness to be a hockey star, a celebrity, a renown politician? Is it great to exercise the powers we've been given? Is it less great for those who are born cripple to exercise, in the same intensity, the powers they were given, that no one recognizes? It's all the same. The package this supposed greatness comes out of is a corruptible mess, if not already irretrievably corrupted. We owe all we have to the God who will give us His greatness if we let Him.

So my tribe, go out and accomplish all you can. Keep in mind, however, it is God that gives you the power to do great things. Give Him the glory or you might just fall after the example we've just been given by the . . . "great one".