Sparklers

When I look at the state of the world it can make me a little depressed, to be honest. We are in the midst of a deep global recession. There is hunger, disease and devastation at almost every turn. It is almost enough to make me throw up my hands and proclaim all is lost, that it’s hopeless. Because after all, what can I do? I’m just one person and one person can’t do much of anything.

Tell that to the governing body of the PGA, Professional Golf Association. They will tell you one person is all it takes. They will tell you that one person can lift up and change an entire industry. Transformation can happen with the spark from just one individual.

Golf can pretty much be divided up into two eras – Pre-Tiger and Post-Tiger. His influence on golf and the world (advertising world anyway) has been so great that he is one of the few people that no longer need to use their last name to be recognized.

I used to play gold growing up. It was back then literally an old man’s game. My grandfather taught me how to play the game. I would play with him and my best friend and her grandfather. I enjoyed it because of the company but really thought the game itself was a snooze-fest.

Tiger came on to the golf scene with hurricane force winds. His father taught him the game when he was just a child. He learned the game quickly and easily. He stormed out of college where he had been winning collegiate and amateur tournaments. Once he turned pro he pretty much won at will for years. He has had some recent trouble and there are those who think he won’t make much difference anymore. (History tells us they are going to eat those words.)

But with his arrival came energy and excitement. Golf was transformed from a slow, plodding gentleman’s game into one of power and finesse. Golf became cool, hip and sexy. And young. I don’t know that golf was on the verge of becoming irrelevant to the next generation but Tiger single-handedly took the game and made it one of the most relevant and happening events going. Golf is now a multi-billion dollar a year industry.

I don’t know what Tiger’s intentions were when he chose to take up the sport. He probably wanted to be the best he could be at it, win and make a living playing golf. I don’t know if he set out to transform an entire industry. But he did. All by hitting a little white ball into a cup. That is some spark.

I can’t hit a golf ball very far. I don’t think my talents will transform much of anything. But I don’t have to try to change the whole world.  Tiger didn’t set out to do that, that was just a consequence of him following his heart and lighting sparks along the way. Those sparks ignited other sparks until a transforming fire began to burn and spread.

I can’t solve the problems of the poor in India, for example, all by myself. But I can send my spark of a few dollars to a charity that works over there. I can help those in my city by giving of my time to an organization that helps those who are less fortunate. I can send a spark of encouragement to a friend who is down. By following what is in my heart I can make a difference. And so can you. It only takes a spark.

There are some who thought One man wouldn’t make a difference. They were wrong. He went about doing His Father’s business and changed the world. He lit many sparks along the way. Those sparks turned into mighty flames and are still burning today. His life is still transforming lives. He also is known by only one name.  Jesus.  His birthday is coming up.

A perfect time for lighting sparklers, don’t you think?
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