Teach Me!

For the past 4 months I've had the incredible privilege to coach a varsity high school team. What once was a path I never though I would take has become something I look forward to all day long and I can't get enough of! I love having the opportunity to share my passion and insights for the game of volleyball... I love seeing the progress of the girls and when the light bulb goes off... I love breaking skills down and helping them add new skills to their 'toolbox'... I love helping them understand the big strategic picture and ebbs and flows of the game... I love it when the girls pick my brain and want to know and do more to get better... I love knowing that I can make a difference in the girls' lives not only as a volleyball coach and player, but as a person... When it comes down to it, I love to teach!

My Regional Champions! (I guess they have learned something!)
Let's hope their development continues in the
State Quarterfinals tomorrow!

I can still remember my first practice with the girls and the discomfort I felt when our head coach threw me in to run a drill with a group of girls where I knew not one name! But once relationships were formed and I observed each girls' talents and skill-set, I was and am able to demand more out of them because I can see the potential that lies within. This is perfect for my observant, detail-oriented self as I have a knack for identifying what needs fixing or improving or refining and can give them the instruction and facilitate the drills necessary to change.

However, I've found the most frustrating part of teaching and coaching is that I have little control over the speed of development of my players. I can tell a girl over and over and over to "reach high" or "get your feet to the ball" or "press fast on the block" (hmm, maybe some things I myself heard as a player...!) but until they not only hear but also apply it - rather than just saying "I know, I know" - my words and wisdom seem somewhat futile! The delivery can be different, the drill to practice can be a little different, the demonstration can be different, the coach saying it can be different... but the skill itself that needs to be improved never changes. And until the knowledge and content that we as coaches are sharing takes root in the player, the result will also never change. From my experience as a coach, learning and improvement are just as dependent on the knowledge, preparedness, and patience of the teacher as they are on the adaptability and willingness to listen and apply by the student.

How true that is in my spiritual walk as well!

Now, I can blame not using my blog for the last 5 months on my new and different, busy lifestyle... or not having anything good to write about... or that I frankly became intimidated because it had been so long... But when it comes down to it, I wasn't really learning. At least I wasn't being intentional with my learning and applying - the very thing I proposed my blog would help me do! God can only remind me through church, bible class, songs on the radio, friends, or my own conscious so many times that HE is the only one who can satisfy and fill my heart... that HE is the One for whom and by whom all things I do and have can be... that HE desires to spend time with me in His word... that HE will provide all of my needs and I have no reason to worry about anything... that HE has me in this position in life for a special reason and purpose... that HE has a home for me prepared in heaven and wants me to prepare for it now while on earth. And how many times do I just nod and say, "I know, Lord, I know."? Sadly, too many times to count.

The beautiful thing is that He doesn't get impatient and frustrated like I do when my girls give me that response yet don't change. Rather, "you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15). Praise God that he is the Good Teacher - the BEST Teacher! So good and loving of a teacher, that He actually does all of the work for me! So patient of a teacher, that He knows every area of my life where I continually stumble and that needs improvement yet comes to the rescue and still loves me 100% of the time! So faithful of a teacher, that He laid down His life for mine, so that I never need to doubt his love or faithfulness or devotion to me despite my faults and failures. Instead I can humbly come before Him and confess that I'm not a good student but really do desire to learn. So, "Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees... You are my portion, O Lord... and Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path in life... May my body and life be a living sacrifice that his holy and pleasing to you as my act of worship and thanks."

A Committed Life

Yesterday morning when I was getting ready for church, I hit the snooze button just a few too many times. I was therefore also running late. But, no speeding for me during Lent!! At first when I was leaving my apartment, I tried justifying it in my head, "Well, God, don't you want me to be in church on time? So it should be ok for me to speed to get there... just this once." But I knew I shouldn't because I had already made that commitment to Him not to speed so I can literally and figuratively slow down.

This turned into quite the blessing in disguise. Ok, nothing major like missing an accident... well, who knows actually. But I was able to spend some time on my own in worship in my car. After, of course, I prayed that God would help alleviate my impatience and frustration. Which also subsided.

When I did get to church, our sermon lesson was about Abraham being tested by God to sacrifice his only son Isaac (Genesis 22). Now there is a picture of someone walking by faith, of a Christ-centered commitment... nothing like a Lenten sacrifice of not speeding.

Clearly Abraham was upset and confused by this test and trial that God presented him - Isaac was his only son, born to him in old age, and supposed to be the offspring of the promised Savior! But, even in his doubt and hurt, he - and even Isaac - complied, trusted God, and obeyed what God said. He was committed in his faith and trusted God's plan, as confusing as it may be. In turn, because of his faithfulness, God stopped Abraham before he actually sacrificed his son. And he provided a substitute ram for the sacrifice instead. Just a few of the many reasons we shouldn't doubt God's plan:

• "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1 Corinthians 1:25). We don't have a CLUE when it comes to God's plan. I'd like to think as an Academic All-American that I'm pretty smart, but to come close to the wisest man? Nah... I mean, it's not like I came up with the Fibonacci code (do I even know what that is?) or invented electricity or anything. And this kind of mind-blowing wisdom on earth... that's rubbish and foolishness to God. Hahaha. 

• "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:6-7). These trials and tests aren't for God's pleasure and enjoyment. They're for us. God uses tests and trials to reveal what's on the inside of our heart and purify us, refine us, and make us pure and holy. Not only is our faith in the midst of these circumstances credited to us as righteousness (Hebrews 11) but we also find out that God is more faithful to us than we ever thought. God shows up for those who love and follow Him.  

This lesson from Abraham and Isaac is such a beautiful picture of what God had to go through when sacrificing his son Jesus for us. God was clearly upset and in agony over having to sacrifice and abandon his only Son. But he loved us enough to go through with it anyways (John 3:16). When we are faithful and believe in Him, Jesus acts as our holy, perfect substitute before God. God followed through on his commitment to us so that I can be saved and live in heaven with Him. I think a little commitment about not speeding... or reading my Bible... or being devoted in prayer... or loving others as myself... can be followed through out of love and praise to Him too.

The sobering and sacrificial sight of what our sin cost our Savior.
The ultimate picture of sacrificial love and commitment.