ROOTED IN PERSEVERANCE

The busiest day on record for me.  Today will be the toughest day as far as where to be and what needs to be done.  This morning the scripture to hold on to as I move from task to task as well as place to place.  “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters. I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Hold One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3

God will get me through this tough day and see me through until my head rest on my bed to just repeat it all again.  This is a long semester at the college and high school.  I know I can get to all places but the question is what will that look like at 10 pm as my hit the pillow and to rise again at 4:30 am to start it all over again.  I truly believe that God is going to guide me and give me strength.  I have to keep in mind that I am not given more than I can handle.  The challenge is new beginnings in coaching and try to handle my other career. I don’t have the chance to coach as a profession so I have to make adjustments.

I will be attending my first practice back at the college. We are down a coach but we will manage. It will be kind of different in that I have spent some time work and coaching high school students. The edge I had before I left coaching college does not seem to be there. Either I have evolved as a coach and see that the most important part of coaching is not blaming when athletes don’t perform but looking at ones self. Its the athlete but rather the coach that has to adjust to the athlete can be successful. What is the coach putting into place that is allowing the athlete to be successful? That is always the question I ask myself rather than putting blame. God has given me a better understanding of this by having me coach at the high school level. I pray for God to guide me tomorrow during practice and with the staff to give me understanding of behaviors and working with others who don’t have the same belief system I have. I know my new perspective will not go over well with the head coach but we are going to be a working progress in that area.

A good part of my life was based on the community. That community was in the form of a athletic team. I began my walk with Christ a year before I entered high school. I found the wonderful sport of basketball. I played high school and college basketball and each of those teams a community always develops. Not always a community in faith. Even the last 25 year in my marriage it was a team based relationship. My ex-husband was a competative athlete as well. So we were a great team. We still are a great team raising our child.

My whole adult life has been taking a team approach in all I do. I had been luck to coach high school basketball the last 6 years. There I created a community with players and assistant coaches. My coaching staff became my community. The last two years I created (maybe I was given) a community of coaches that were again part of my team and I was fortunate to have two strong women in Christ. I always had strong communities that were supportive. It was not until this morning as I was reading my daily devotion that I recognized that I had never had a community that was based on faith until the last two years. I can say that my faith walk in Christ was also not as strong as it was until the last two years. As I stated before I created or was given these two women who helped create a faith based security for me. Enough to allow me to be all in and to live out loud in my faith as well as finally get baptized.

I had been given a gift that both coaches and I had faith community by God. I did not realize that until reading the devotion this morning. I am and have been struggling in my faith. I was not sure why. I had to think about the last 2 months and what has taken place. It was not until this morning did I realize what I had lost. In the spring I made a choice to move to the back to the college level and displacing my faith community (my two coaches). I had a realization that my community is very important in my life. It is the group and individuals that encourage and are with us during our ups and downs. I realized my faith community has been based around sports. We need more than that in our lives. Its great if you can create a faith based community in sports but if you can’t then you do need to set yourself up for times of being alone in your walk with God.

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

I think that I had more a lose leaving coaching high school basketball. I lost my community of faith. “Life is meant to be lived in community, with people whom you trust and can count on. Are you part of a faith community? If not, start looking for a place to make your contribution to the team.” – T. Dungy

Maybe God has a different path and I have been put with the new coaching staff to share my faith. Which is very difficult for me to do. For now I will continue to seek my faith community at church which is very hard for me to do given my time constraints and my intense sense competive personality. Maybe I start a group at church that can supports coaches. Are there enough people that fit that group?

Saw a former assistant at church this morning. They were in a hurry and left service before it was over. I had come to admire this person over the last two years. I could tell that things have not been right in their world. Information was shared because they had to take a few days here and there during the season. I miss this individual not just as a coach but they were such a positive person in my life with Christ. They were the person who brought me to the place I am today. “All In” you know the kinda of christian that does the right thing but does not live out loud or hides their faith. This person changed the direction of my faith. I feel so connect with them but as person I am and the type of choach I am it is very hard for me to drop my guard. This coach I know is hurting and I sent a text which made me very vulnerable as a person but I can say even though it was hard to tell them I am there for them it still was the hardest thing to do. The Lord was telling me to do more for this coach. I had never been driven to do this. This coach needs an extra measure of faith and the only way my personality will allow me to do this is by sending a note once week in the mail to support them. I will pray for them as well. I can’t but think about the way playing and coahcing has created the type of person who feels that strength in our feels also has to be hidden even when off the court. This is an area of growth for me. Challenge yourself. If you are over competative does it cross over into your emotions off the court? Is it ok to express God’s and your love for a friend in need? I always feel that empathy and hurt with people when they hurt but now its time for me to show that compassion when they need it the most. What can you do to make a difference in someone’s life who is hurting? Does not have to be big. Blessed.

Be on guard, Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be Strong. Corinthians 16:13

It is stated that there are things against us that constantly tear us down. It is the work of Satan. Every challenge and sometimes daily challenges are constantly attacking our faith. When we are constantly challlenged we lose our passion. That passion for Christ. When one is bomarded with challenges all day long our passion faulters and we stop making choice that are part of Christ’s plan. We let others dictate how we can influence good in the world and to others. Continue to stand firm in your faith.

Daily Life: Having the courage for pateince in line at the store, driving on the road and with family.

Coaching: Have the good sense that when coaches discuss what another coach does you don’t like find a way to question it and discuss a better way to resolve how to incorporate it or better understanding of why they do it. Discussing with other coaches is talking behind ones back and also breaks down the coaching team arena. You are also a team and not just players. Be strong and on guard of your own behaviors and stand firm in your faith to do the right thing and be part of the solution and not create a new problem.

Keepin

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