If you didn’t read my last post, you might want to so that this one makes sense…so you go do that…the rest of you read on.
Following that Friday practice, one of my players pulled me aside and said, “Coach…you know last Friday…there’s no way you could have known some of those things…unless the Lord told you…”
I looked at her, smiled, and said, “I know…”
She looked at me and said, “No really, it could have ONLY been the Lord.”
I nearly cried and laughed as I said, “Hey, I know…REMEMBER that.”
HOW cool is that???? I love it.
I had to leave my team for their last week of practice while I went to training camp for the Race. I barely slept at all, got in late Friday night, woke up at 5 a.m. to coach them in their final tournament. I pulled up to the school to find a long string of cars waiting for the bus to get there. I got out, doors flung open, and all those beautiful girls came and hugged any exhaustion I was feeling right out of me.
Early in the day, the girls gave me a poster that they had all signed…I nearly cried.
THEN afterwards we went out for pizza, and they handed me a scrapbook where each player had a page with their picture and the sweetest note EVER on it…I DID cry.
THEN after I thanked them, one of the moms came forward, and handed me a card from the parents…with over $200 in it! I BALLED…
THEN we had a sleepover at which the girls gave me a makeover, put a dress on me, and then escorted me in to watch their talent show. My heart was SO FULL.
I have never loved a team like that before. A team + their parents. I know myself…my natural self, and that is NOT natural for me. THAT’S the Lord…and that was the most awesome thing about this past season. We can allow the Lord to love THROUGH us. Sometimes our flesh can get in the way and quench that, but if we continue to surrender, He’ll love the heck out of people…and it’s the most humbling thing ever.
Now, what does this have to do with the Race?
Well, the Race isn’t a break from life to do what the Lord calls you to do. The Race is just an extension and another leg of the race we’re already in. The Holy Spirit moves wherever you are…you don’t have to leave the United States to figure that out…you just have to listen and look around where He has you NOW.
If you are in a public school (teacher or student), be BOLD. If you’re in the business world, be BOLD. Shoot, WHEREVER you are in this world, BE BOLD. If you don’t use the platform that the Lord gives you to speak the words He gives you, then you’ve turned it into someone else’s platform. Let Him LOVE through YOU!
