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Scott McCarron is an accomplished professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has had a measure of success on the Tour and, as such, is reasonably recognizable at most Tour venues. That means that when he pulls up to the gate he usually gets in without much hassle. in 2002, when the U. S. Open was played at Bethpage Black, McCarron had a small problem. That morning he had allowed his wife to use the courtesy SUV that the USGA had provided for his use. He drove the family sedan to the course. That's where it got interesting.

As he pulled up to the gate he realized that he had left his contestant parking sticker in the SUV. Any other time, any other year, it wouldn't have made a difference because of who he is. That day at Bethpage, just 34 miles from Ground Zero (yes, that Ground Zero), it made a difference. Security was tight for the Open at Bethpage. Without the parking sticker the guards at the gate were not supposed to allow anyone in at all. The USGA and New York State Police were not taking any chances. Even though both he and his caddy, Ryan Scott, had their player IDs and McCarron had his clubs and bag with his name on it, McCarron knew it was going to be touch and go.

He made it through the first two checkpoints, but, at the third checkpoint, with the parking lot in sight, the policeman said that he would have to check with the state police command center before he would be allowed to park. McCarron was told that he would be allowed to park that day, but the next day he would have to have all the appropriate stickers. Before he could pull away, the policeman asked if McCarron would answer a quick question. McCarron was prepared to provide a glove or a ball or an autograph. Instead he got a question on how he played his approach shot on hole number three on the course.

Bethpage is, after all, a municipal course maintained by the state. McCarron's reality became expanded to realize that just because you're a professional doesn't mean that the course plays any better. But it does mean that someone not quite as proficient will seek your advice. McCarron got to help a fellow golfer solve a mystery of playing a particular hole on one of the toughest golf courses in the U. S.; something he could not have done had he not been who he is. The same thing with getting into the tournament. Had he not been a well known professional golfer slated to play in the Open he would have been out of luck.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:16 We Christians are a lot like Scott McCarron. We are supposed to be the experts to living life on a higher plane. When we do that, people notice and wonder what is the difference. Hopefully, they ask us. Just as hopefully, we can give them the correct answer that blesses their life and directs them toward a relationship with their heavenly Father. After all, we ARE His children. It's not just that we have a nodding acquaintence with Him; we're family. So it isn't just who we know; it's who we are.

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

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