My Coach
Posted by Ben on July 11, 2011
As an athlete and a coach I know about hitting a wall. There is always a point where, as a player you are pushed outside your comfort zone and into the unfamiliar. A player hits a wall when their mind can no longer force the body to keep pushing and keep going in the same direction. Every player hits a wall at a different point. For some it is sweat. For some it is pain. For some the requirement to reach your full potential is just greater than the dedication to reach it.
As a coach I spend much of my time looking for ways to make a player play or work harder – to give just a little more- to be a little greater or to have the courage to know that you won’t die. The fact is that dreams come true just over the next hill.
I’ve realized that I’ve hit a wall with my life and the ministry God has called me to. I’ve been running for a while and I’m getting pretty tired. The truth is I’ve got plenty left, but it’s more than I’ve ever given. My coach is asking for more. He wants a better effort. I know I’ve cut corners, and I jogged through the last sprint. When he says he wants my best I hang my head and shame. I know he is talking to me. I watch my sweat hit the floor, and am reminded of all I’ve already given. Yet my coach wants more. He knows I’m not giving my best. He sees not only the player I am, but also the player I could be. Anything less than that is a waste of talent. Anything less than that will allow me to look back at my life with regrets or questions about what I could have become. Anything less than that is disappointing.
My coach knows I’m destined for greatness, but he knows I have a sloppy work ethic. He knows without His constant pushing and prodding I won’t make it. Again I hear “Was that your best?” A tear joins the puddle of sweat on the ground. I know it wasn’t . I’m not sure if I’m more disappointed that I didn’t live up to my potential, or that I let my coach down. Luckily my coach gives me another chance.
“On the line” is his command. I walk to the same line that my last sprint finished on, pick my head up, and vow that on this sprint I will give my best. I will let my coach see me give everything I can. I will not disappoint him or myself. I will continue Pressing On through the pain, the disappointment, the fatigue, the heartache and the sorrow. I will constantly remind myself why I am in the gym. I will remind myself why He asks me to work. I will allow my God – My coach – to shape me and teach me. I will trust him. I am Pressing On.
