Contact Sport
By Greg Asimakoupoulos
April 1, 1995
Jerry Philpott never attended our church. To the best of my knowledge, he never responded to an altar call. But he did to a telephone call inviting him to play eighteen holes.
A retired cop named Jim who loved golf had started attending our church. One Sunday I suggested we tee it up sometime. That afternoon we set a tee time for Tuesday morning.
On the course Jim introduced me to two of his friends with whom we would be playing--Jerry and Rod. Before we had finished the front nine, Jim told me that Jerry had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, though I wouldn't have guessed it by the way he swung a golf club. Jerry didn't say much that day, but I drove back to church that morning determined to stay close to him. Tuesdays became our day for golf.
After our second outing, Jerry broke his silence about his death sentence; he was scared. I sent him a greeting card along with an article on golf written by a Christian friend of mine. I conveyed my concern and expressed my appreciation for our time together.
Each week Jerry and I chased our shots up and down the fairways. Occasionally our chats would dip below the surface. I continued sending notes. I'd enclose a devotional thought I had come across that week. Jerry relayed his appreciation.
Three months later Jerry's cancer was strangling his strength. He'd join us for coffee but not for golf. Rod kept me posted on Jerry's declining condition. Before I left on an extended trip, I asked Jim if he would go with me to Jerry's home to pray with him. That afternoon, we reminisced about golf. We laughed. We prayed. Just before we left, Jerry acknowledged his need for a Savior. When I returned from my trip, Jerry had gone home to be with Christ.
Sports often feel like a rival to ...
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