In current parlance, I am working to “declutter” my garage. I am working to get rid of things I no longer need. In that effort, I have re-discovered some treasures. Recently, I uncovered a set of golf clubs
once owned by our uncle who passed away almost twenty years ago. I inherited them and they have been waiting patiently in my garage for someone to put them to use. Since no one has, I decided to donate them to The First Tee, a non-profit organization whose mission is to use the game of golf to enable kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. When I delivered the clubs to their center, I felt comfortable that they would be put to use as tools of learning for young kids in need.
Full of Lessons
Our uncle learned the game of golf as a young boy. Using clubs like these he learned to play a game that is full of life lessons. Honesty, discipline, social courtesy, patience, perseverance and hard work. Those character traits lead one to success in that game. Of course, those values translate to real life… and that is what The First Tee tries to do for its students. My uncle has left us, but those clubs are still full of lessons to pass on to young folks – especially if they find their way into eager hands and have a mentor or coach to show them the way.
Hand Me Downs
I have been thinking about the other treasures, that are hidden away in my garage and in my life. There are other pieces of sports equipment which are collecting dust… a baseball glove, a hockey stick, a volleyball net, and soccer balls. These treasures could become hand-me-downs and find new life when given to young people. In my childhood, hand-me-downs came when an older brother passed on his legacy in the form of a baseball mitt, a 
winter coat or a bicycle. Receiving a hand-me-down, one learns to appreciate that new does not always mean unused. One learns to appreciate that while one person may have “outgrown” it, there may still be room left for another. One comes to appreciate that beauty may truly be in the eye of the beholder. For some young aspiring golfer, my uncle’s clubs will be new. For Be There Dads, hand-me-downs help us on our journey. They can carry on tradition. They can bridge the gap between generations. They can be a common starting point in a conversation that otherwise would have no beginning. They can be the conduit for the lessons of life.
Skills and Experiences
More than the physical objects, there are the skills and experiences we put on the shelf. A little rusty, but still serviceable, mine include coaching experience in soccer, basketball and baseball. I wonder if I donated some of that to the right organization, it might still make an impact. At my age, maybe I can no longer run around the field with the younger kids, but perhaps I could sit with coaches and offer some tips. A friend of mine recently left a long career of teaching in schools. She is now taking the experience she gained over thirty years and is focusing on tutoring and coaching students individually. Rather than calling it retirement, she has characterized it as a time of “re-purposement”.
I wonder how many men have gifts of time, treasure and talent that are sitting on their shelf, 
waiting to be re-purposed? Playing a musical instrument, painting, playing chess, gardening, baking and even playing video games. … Skills that were passed on to them by dads and mentors. Skills they may have even already passed on to their own children; but are waiting to be passed on one more time. Not just for the joy they might bring, but for the lessons they may teach. I wonder how many conversations might be had when a mentor teaches a young student how to _______(fill in the blank) Our relationships begin with one conversation at a time. (Fierce Conversations).
I wonder as I try to de-clutter my life in one area, if I should use what I find to “clutter” it into another. Can I re-purpose my gifts, and experience to enrich the lives of children? Maybe I can start by asking school leaders if there is anything I can do to help? I could ask a coach. Ask a music teacher. Ask an Assistant Principal. Maybe dads could do the same. Describe our skills and experience. Make ourselves available. Be willing to share. Chase down balls at baseball practice. Demonstrate the finer points of a corner kick. Move music stands or build theater scenery. Paint a picture. Plant some seeds.
Leave no Love Unspent
Speaking of his mother at her funeral, a young man encouraged us to never leave our love unspent. So too, with our gifts and talents. In this season of giving, perhaps we can find a way to re-gift some of our unspent treasures. It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it’s what you leave behind you when you go. (Randy Travis)
