Those who read this blog regularly know how much I love golf.  It is a hobby and my “getaway” activity.  I watch the game, study the game and play it.  Well, as golf goes in the past 10 years, no one has dominated golf like Tiger Woods, a phenom who burst on the scene as 3 year old hitting plastic balls for Johnny Carson back in the day.  From his college days and since he turned pro in 1998, Tiger has always been an exceptional talent with his golf clubs and is now as a professional, closing in on Jack Nicklaus’ majors record  and could threaten the great Sam Snead’s all-time career victories achievement. When he recently won the FedEx Cup, a PGA Tour year long points contest, he became the first BILLIONAIRE athlete in history.  This of course was more about the sponsorships, marketing, etc. although Tiger has won tournaments around the world and accumulated lots of trophies and cash.

The mystic of Tiger was his discipline and concentration on the course.  No one seemed to be more focused and determined to get it right–to win at all cost than Tiger.  Who can forget his perseverance in the 2008 US Open when he played the last day with a broken bone in his leg?  It was remarkable.  Tiger has another feature and that his firm conviction about keeping his life private.  I read once where he rented the whole island for his wedding to insure that no “uninvited” persons came to his wedding to Elin, the former nanny of some other PGA tour pros.  He was careful about interviews, even fired his caddy one time over that person’s attempt to cash in on Tiger’s popularity.

Yes, Tiger was obsessed about his world–keeping it within his circle and making sure you nor I got in.

But Tiger had a weakness and all his discipline on the course did not translate to the inevitable human flaw revealed publicly this week and that threatens his marriage, his mystic and perhaps his playing career in some way or another.  In truth, there was another Tiger Woods we did not know.  But Tiger is not the only one with flaws.  I have them and so do you.  In fact, everyone has a flaw, a weak place in their life that threatens to derail their dreams unless it is properly handled.

The language of II Kings surrounding the life of Naaman, captain of the Syrian army reads–”Naaman was a good man BUT he had leprosy.”  We now know the same is true of Tiger Woods…”Tiger Woods is an outstanding athlete BUT he is undisciplined in….”  So, I’m thinking about me and you.  How would our II Kings language read?

• “Bill Isaacs is a good man BUT he has persistent problems with___________?
• “___________(your name here) is a good leader BUT they cannot seem to conquer their________?”

Someone once offered this advice to leaders and I’ve never forgotten it…

God will give you space to work out your problems in the private places of your life but if you don’t deal with your sins, God will drag you into the public square and make you deal with them in public!

There is no joy in Tiger’s present situation.  He has a wife, children and he is a fellow human being.  I hope he does it right and repositions his life in ways that prevent such indiscretions ever happening again.

I also hope that such incidents remind all of us how fragile we all are and that only in God’s grace and keeping can we ever live up to the kind of life God intends.

Galatians 2:20

Your thoughts?