Blessed are the Flexible, For They Will Not Be Bent Out of Shape

Who knew taking a shower would be newsworthy?

Being flexible is not one of my strengths. Having been raised as a princess by my father, I want what I want, when I want it. I’m not someone who likes to be interrupted. My friend Pete posted the blog’s headline on his Facebook page yesterday. I believe it was my favorite post of the day.

Pete’s post gave me something to work on yesterday. I had the opportunity to be flexible just a couple hours later. Ron called to discuss a business situation. I wasn’t pleased because it wasn’t exactly how I wanted to handle the situation. But I thought of Pete’s post and made the decision to be flexible, and thus not get bent out of shape.

I took a shower and thought of Mom. Taking a shower is not a necessity during the pandemic. I’ve had more conversations with people, who like me, are taking less showers than they used too.

Something that may never happen again: toilet paper costs more than a gallon of gasoline.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Ron worked. I Zoomed with two of my dearest friends over morning coffee. I studied for my final. I took a bike ride. Gratefully, I still have some work I get to do. And then I started a puzzle, lent to me by my friend Penney.

My Tuesday evenings have been filled with my “Paul Prayers.” A group of women who mean the world to me: Lori, Karen, Susan, Melissa, Heather, Wendy, and Crystal. I would never in a million years have thought I would be able to bring them all together.

I thank God for Zoom in the midst of this pandemic. Zoom allows me to spend my Tuesday evenings with women who don’t live in the same state, are from different parts of my life, and otherwise would never have met. I would not have thought of doing this if it wasn’t for social isolation. Our hourly meetings have become a highlight of my week. Who would have ever thought?

I finished watching Unbelievable. The story is truly Unbelievable:

Ron and I ended our evening with an adult beverage in the hot tub. Ron bought the hot tub for me because I couldn’t walk. I was in so much pain with my Achilles, he couldn’t stand it. We went on vacation a couple of years ago at Hilton Head Island when the pain was at its worst. I was doing an intensive tennis coach’s training week. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to do it. I had braces, wraps and numbing lotions to help me with the pain. The house we rented had a hot tub. Every day after training, I came home and got in the hot tub. I would massage my Achilles on the jet until the pain went away. By the end of the week, I was walking better than I had been in months. We came home from vacation, four days later, Ron bought the hot tub. We now consider it one of the best purchases we have ever made. Our old, aching bones are healed in its waters.

Unbelievable

“Here I am, send me!”

Those words captured my attention. A female detective is driving a rape victim to the hospital for testing after being victimized. The young college student sees those words taped to the dashboard of the SUV and asks what they mean. The detective tells her it comes from Isaiah. God asks who is willing to go and do what He wants done. Isaiah responds loudly, “Here I am, send me!” He didn’t even know what the job was, but he was willing to do whatever God wanted.

This dialogue created a powerful moment between these two women. Unknowingly, the detective had been vulnerable with this young girl who desperately needed someone to be vulnerable with her. She had just been violated in unspeakable ways. She was far from home, no family near. She was scared, isolated, alone. A long forgotten verse, scribbled on a post-it note, taped to a dash, created a moment of vulnerability the young girl needed.

Unbelievable is a limited six episode series on Netflix based on true events. A young at risk girl is raped and no one believes her. Fifteen years later, the rapist hasn’t stopped, he’s just moved around the country. The series tells the story. I’m on episode four, will probably finish it today.

Men will never know what it is like to be female, no matter how hard they try. Women have a vulnerability that men don’t have. We aren’t as strong as them physically. We can’t protect ourselves like they can. I’m not saying women are less than, they are not. I’m just saying, physically, men are stronger than women. I know there are exceptions to every rule. But if a man and woman are in a physical battle, the man is going to win that fight most of the time.

Unbelievable illustrates that point very well. The show is not easy to watch. This rapist had no “type,” one of his victims was a 72 year old woman. But it happened, to people whose lives were changed because of it. We can’t hide from the ugliness of this world if we’re going to love the people in it.

If you’re not in the mood for a heavy, thought provoking series, don’t watch this.

4 YEARS IN A ROW FOR MORRISONS

“Yes!” Jumping for joy, B. Morrison couldn’t believe her eyes as her husband’s ball rolled neatly into the cup. Reigning champions Ron and Beth Morrison defended their title successfully on Thanksgiving day, 2019, at Deer Run’s Champion course. The round was determined by one putt on the 18th hole.

With a 7:30 a.m. tee time, the weather was in the low 50’s and sunshine. Matt Minick, the first champion of the Minick Cup, set the rules.

“No strokes given, playing straight up. Have to put it in; if it’s on the edge, have to tap it in. If it lands in the fairway and can’t be found because of the leaves, no penalty. If it’s not on the fairway, have to take a penalty.”

Flipping the tee to determine lineup, R. Morrison was first to tee off; two drives allowed off the first tee, he only needed one. Minick teed off next. Bill Brantley, a founding player of the Cup, teed off last for the men. B. Morrison put one down the golf cart path for her first shot. Minick’s shot ended up in the leaves off the fairway, a man of his word; he took a penalty when he couldn’t find it.

Minick was on fire the first nine holes, birdieing the fourth hole with a long putt. The Morrisons couldn’t get their act together, finding themselves down five strokes at the end of the front nine.

The tide began to turn when Minick came to hole 11. “This hole gets me every time,” he said before teeing off.

“I’m playing it up the left.” B. Morrison said to her husband.

Unfortunately, teeing off into the woods, she landed beside Brantley’s yellow ball. Doglegging right around water, Minick and R. Morrison started off well, with their tee shot landing in the fairway. Minick’s second shot splashed in the water, R Morrison’s left, landing in the bunker. R. Morrison bogeyed the hole, Minick losing a stroke.

With each hole, the suspense grew. At the start of 16, Minick and Morrisons were even. Minick said, “Not for long.” And he was right, picking up a stroke when he bogeyed the hole. R. Morrison saved the Morrisons from losing more strokes with his double bogey. With the pressure on the Morrisons, the foursome headed to the seventeenth hole, where B. Morrison won it with a bogey.

Stepping onto the 18th tee box, Brantley wasn’t in the competition; Minick and Morrisons tied. No one spoke, as one by one, each player teed off. The three contenders’ tee shots landed in a row, each laying approximately 100 yards off the par-five green. B. Morrison chucked her second shot, choking under pressure, taking herself out of the competition.

R. Morrison landed 9 feet from the hole; Minick landed 11 feet back. Both had the same line on the putt. Minick, going first, missed the cup by mere feet. A hush fell as R. Morrison prepared for his shot, all the pressure on him. If he made it, the Morrisons would get to keep the Minick Cup for another year.

“Come on, Honey! You got this!”

“They’re going to start dropping in,” R. Morrison repeatedly said throughout the round. All day, his putts fell short. Pensive and uncertain, B. Morrison held her breath, praying silently.

R. Morrison’s words proved prophetic! Under intense pressure, his final put did indeed “drop-in.” By one stroke, R. Morrison won the Minick Cup.

Until next year, when the story continues.