The Coach of Life

I have only one daughter. But, for about the next 10 weeks I will have 6 more girls that I call my own. I enjoy being with them. They are in the 5th and 6th grades. They are my soccer team.

For the next 10 weeks I am known as "coach" in the game of soccer. This will be my 6th year of coaching. It is through the Upward Program.

The goal of Upward is to reach out and share Jesus through sports. At each practice there is a devotion and each game at 1/2 time a testimony of the change Christ can make.

My girls come from a variety of home situations. They come from a variety of school situations. They come from a variety of backgrounds. They come from a variety of hurts, pains, abuses, confusions, misunderstandings....

That age was such an awkward age for me personally. I recognize that in some of these girls. I want to be a loving, consistent adult for them. (Some of them don't even have that in their parents.)

Sure, I want to help them learn to play soccer, to have fun, to make new friends, to enjoy the great outdoors, to incorporate exercise into their day. But, most importantly, I want to show them Jesus!!

I want to represent His mouth that speaks to them and encourages them. I want to represent His feet that run and play with them, and TO them in their needs. I want to represent His love and arms that embrace them. I want to represent His presence that surrounds them daily, regardless of what they are doing. Yes, even playing soccer.

I pray for God's safety, for protection, for good attitudes and the ability to learn soccer. But, most of all, I ask Jesus to come play soccer with us. I ask that He be seen. I pray that lives will be changed... not just to be better soccer players but instead changed to be committed to Him.

We practice every week that takes about 1-1/2 hours of my time and a game every week that is also 1- 1/2 hours of my time. Do I have time to add 10 weeks of soccer into my schedule? Am I bored, looking for something to do? Do I just love soccer and can't get enough of it?

The answer to all of these is NO. If I was doing it for merely these reasons... I'd call myself crazy! Instead, I coach with eternal perspective in mind.

So, over the next 10 weeks, you will find me on a soccer field. You will find me rotating the girls so all play equally. You will find me cheering, encouraging, instructing, and uplifting. You will find me running and getting exercise myself. You will find me coaching soccer.

But, if you listen closely... you will hear me asking Jesus to come and play soccer with us. You will hear me praying that Jesus would shine through as the greatest coach of all, the coach of life.