The following story is from my Easter sermon. I hope that it inspires you as it has inspired me!
Sam Bennett, the youngest of three boys in the Bennett family, is a fifth-year senior at Texas A&M University and a member of the Aggies golf team. He won the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship which qualified him for this year’s Masters at Augusta National. This young, wiry golfer captured the hearts of America, finishing tied for 16th as low amateur at 2-under par. Bennett skillfully carved his path through what some say is the most beautiful “real estate” in the world of golf, and one of the most difficult courses.[1]
In Thursday’s first round, Bennett was paired with Scottie Scheffler, the defending Masters champion and ranked number one in the world. Sam Bennett did not flinch. After the second round, he was tied for third place, just four strokes behind the leader, Bruce Koepka. Sam’s story is bigger than golf and, I think most will agree, is reflective of what’s really most important in this life.
Sam’s dad, Mark, got him into golf as a child growing up in Madisonville, Texas. Mark was always there to support and encourage Sam through his young career. In 2013, at the age of 45, Mark started to show symptoms of memory loss and other health challenges and was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Sam was just 13 at the time. Mark passed away from this debilitating disease in 2021 just as Sam was finding his stride as a collegiate golfer with the Aggies.
Sam knew that his dad would want him to pursue his dream. He wanted to find a way to remember his father. He did so in the form of a tattoo of a note from his dad on his left forearm.
In June 2020, a year before Mark died, he gave Sam the best fatherly advice a son could ask for: “Don’t wait to do something. Pops, June 12, 2020.” Sam said, “Dad, could you write that down for me?”
It took 15 minutes for Mark to write those five words on a scrap piece of paper. His wife had to help him hold the pen. They ended up being the last words that Mark was ever able to write. Later, Sam took the small piece of paper to a tattoo parlor and had the words from his dad permanently inked on his left forearm.
During an interview, Bennett said, “[My dad] was the reason why I started playing golf and why I wanted to be good – to impress him.” “Looking at the tattoo is the new pre-shot routine that I do now right before I’m about to hit [the golf ball]. I look at it and I’m like, ‘Don’t wait to do something.’ It’s something that will always stick . . . [my dad] means the world to me.”
Perhaps Mark’s message to Sam is also a message to us . . .
Church, God is saying, “Don’t wait to do something.” In other words, “Don’t live in fear.” Easter says, “Faith Over Fear.” Don’t let fear immobilize you.
Easter gives us the power to live without fear, trusting Jesus to lead us into the future with confidence. Will we face situations that make us anxious and afraid? Absolutely!
But with God’s help, we can name our fears and face them with faith: “Don’t wait to do something.”
- We must trust in Jesus who said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) “Don’t wait to do something.”
- We can stop letting fear cause stress and start living in God’s peace that passes all understanding. “Don’t wait to do something.”
- We can stop being afraid of what others think about us and start living according to God’s purposes and design for our lives. “Don’t wait to do something.”
- We can stop being afraid of failure and start trusting that God will empower us to do more than we can possibly think or imagine! “Don’t wait to do something.”
- We can stop being afraid of the future and start enjoying the fulness of life today. “Don’t wait to do something.”
Jesus said, “I will be with you always until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Let us put faith over fear. “Don’t wait to do something!”
[1] https://www.golfdigest.com/story/masters-2023-sam-bennett-amateur-tattoo-mark-bennett also accessed — https://www.masters.com/en_US/news/articles/2023-04 07/amateur_bennett_calmly_making_masters_history.html
In the name of the Risen Christ,
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