The Coach's Wife

From the time I felt God's call on my life to coach, I knew He was setting aside someone special for me.  All those years ago, I didn't know who, but He was preparing the heart of a beautiful young lady to be my bride, and I don't think she knew either!

I doubt Jennifer ever dreamed she'd be running the roads, sitting in the stands, cheering and screaming for football and basketball teams.  

There was a night, when we first started "talking" or dating that we had a conversation about how a coach's wife had to be different.  I felt as though a coach's wife had to be strong and thick-skinned (true), independent (true), and enduring (true). Through a long conversation, I finished up with asking her if she felt like that was something she was comfortable with.  Mind you, I was still working at ETBU and had ZERO job prospects.  She agreed and said, of course, she'd have to learn along the way, but she felt like it was something she could do.  I was relieved.  That was a weird conversation to have and I really had no idea the full scope of what I was explaining, but I felt it was extremely necessary.

We've been a coaching couple for the last 5 years.  The first season, we were engaged and married mid-school year. The last four, we've been a married couple.  She has seen a lot of nights, where she arrived home alone and I came in way later.  She's had Saturdays and weekends alone.  Shes traveled miles and miles down the highways of East Texas and beyond, to watch me and watch my kids.  She's been a trooper through and through. 

This year, we embark on a new journey.  We finished up the last school year with 3 months with a kid.  We went through track season with M living in our home.  That wasn't too difficult because track is a lot different and a little less strenuous and time-consuming as football.  We coasted to the end of the school year, adding one more child. 

For those of you who are wondering what is going on, we are foster parents and adoption is in our future.  

So this year, Jenn and I will be a coaching couple with kids!  It's going to be different and new, but through the grace of God, we will not only survive but we will stretch and grow.  

We've already gotten a small preview the last few days.  Football camp and meetings started yesterday, I leave at 6:30, come home for lunch, then may not be back until 4 or 5.  

The wives of coaches are cut from a different cloth, no offense to you other wives.  They essentially become single women and single moms for the portion of the season their husband is coaching.  They are usually in the stands and hear all the mess that is said or screamed about their husband or other coaches.  

They drive all over the country with kids in tow.  They sometimes stay up and wait for their coach to get home, then listen to his stories. (Believe me, that's happened at our house and we end up staying up two extra hours.)

In short, when you're at a football game or other sporting event, be watchful for the coach's wife. They're the strong women supporting their team and their husbands. They usually know what's going on and know many of the kids names.  

Show them some love, if nothing else, pray for them.  

In the meantime, if you want a look into the life of a coach's wife, check out Jenn's blog...

www.iheartthecoach.com

American Christianity's Love Affair With America

Our nation just recently celebrated it's independence.  While I am as patriotic as the next person and as apt to spend money on fireworks and food to celebrate, I've taken  notice of something in the last couple of years.

I've always been the "good baptist," up until the past couple of years, I'd get a tear in my eye when "God Bless America" was sung or the American flag was unfurled on stage.  It's what I've been accustomed to these past 30 years of attending a Baptist Church.  It's what I see from most churches in my area.  It must be a Southern thing, an established tradition, cuz that's what we do.

I want to keep it real.  This is not an attack on any church, any pastor, any believer; this is an introspection that I believe the Lord would have all of us reflect on.  

What are we (American Christians) more concerned about?  What are we worshipping?

I'll make this note, I see more Christians get fired up for church when a patriotic song is played than I see them get fired up when a mission team is sent out, or a need is lifted to the church.  I hear more "Amens" and hand raises when a pastor speaks of the need to bring America back to God, than I do for when a pastor calls for needs to be met within the body or when volunteers are needed for the inner-city backyard Bible club. 

*In America, there are very few Christians who are willing to get their hands dirty.*  

What do I mean? 

I'm saying that when the rubber meets the road, many American Christians throw money at the problem or run from it all together.  I lump myself into that category too.  

God calls us to something and we try to weasel our way out of it, or we substitute our offering or a gift for it.  

We may not all be called to Zimbabwe or the Philippines, but we are dang sure called to the guy next to us in the bullpen at work, the teacher down the hall, our neighbors across the street, or the thousands of other people we come into contact with daily.  

We "amen" when the pastor says America needs God, but we aren't doing anything to show them.  

I think part of it shows in our commitment to our local body of believers.  We treat church like a gas station and only visit when we need to fuel up.  We don't invest in the lives of our fellow members, we don't invest in our community.  

We pay our pastors to do that kind of stuff, right? 

Wrong. 

Your pastor can't single-handedly reach your community. In all honesty, your pastor can't single-handedly reach your whole church, no matter the size.  It's our job as the hands and feet of the Father to do those kinds of things.  The Bible tells us to care for the orphans and the widows.  I can tell you, we aren't doing that.  There's too many kids in group homes and foster care to account for that failure, but that's another topic for another day. 

We've pimped out the Bible to make it read how we think it should.  The way we've manipulated it, you'd think that God brought America out of Egypt and had them wander the desert.  Sorry folks, sorry Kalon, that was Israel.  

We've got to get American Christianity back to a Biblical perspective.  The theology of our belief is rooted and bound in the Bible, so we must abandon anything that is not.  Over the years, I think we've adopted the thinking that if it's Christian, or sounds Christian, it must be in line with what God wants.  The only way you're going to know that is if it checks up against the Bible.  

Maybe we need to drop the whole American concept.  If you go overseas, you don't meet Christians who label themselves in such a way.  You meet Christians who are sold out for Jesus, who walk the streets not knowing if they'll be killed for walking with Jesus.  

May be that's it, may be we are too comfortable. 

Maybe it's time for us to quit it with the casual Christianity, besides I think that is something that Jesus himself speaks to...

*“"'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"”*

Revelation 3:15-22 ESV