Rain Delays Can Be Annoying.

RAIN DELAYS CAN BE ANNOYING. Athletes don’t know when their contest will begin; they may get fidgety and restless. But in the 1999 City of Hope Myrtle Beach Classic, golfer Rachel Hetherington waited patiently to rise to the top.

In Thursday’s opening round, the 27-year-old Australian shot a 69, leaving her one shot off the pace. But eight inches of rain forced both Friday’s and Saturday’s rounds to be canceled—the first time the LPGA had reduced a tournament from 72 to 36 holes in 18 years.

On Sunday, Hetherington started slowly, taking a bogey on the first hole. But four straight birdies propelled her into the lead.

The backstretch, however, played a different tune. Consecutive bogeys on 11 and 12 left Hetherington two strokes behind Leta Lindley. Then birdies at 13 and 15, as well as difficult saves of par on 17 and 18, helped her finish with a 4-under-par 68.

Thinking her competitors would pass or tie her, Hetherington waited in the clubhouse for more than an hour. But every golfer faltered in the clutch. Lindley lipped a 5-foot par putt on 18 that would have forced a playoff. Fellow Australian Karrie Webb missed birdie putts on 17 and 18, and Helen Alfredsson drove into the rough on the final hole to settle for a par. The trio finished in a tie for second as Hetherington captured her third LPGA title.

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POINT While she sat in the clubhouse, Rachel probably understood how farmers feel waiting for their crops. Every moment would have seemed like an eternity. But eventually, she saw the leaderboard and knew the title and $101,250 belonged to her.

In the Bible, James offers practical advice on waiting. When Christians of his day grew impatient, he reminded them to follow the example of farmers, who can’t make rains come sooner or a plant grow faster. If they hurry the harvest by reaping early, they ruin or diminish the crop. When we grow impatient, we too can benefit by remembering James’s words about farmers.

GOAL! Buy some flowers for your mother or another female relative. Think about the gardener who grew the flowers needing to be patient before the plants turned into something beautiful. Ask God to help you be more patient.