Call Me Out, Coach. (Day 537)

Taking a break from the world can be a good thing. I decided to take some time for myself every morning this week since I worked so many hours this weekend. The problem was as the days went on my morning time to myself rolled into my afternoons and then I became even worse and let it roll into time after practice in my evenings until bedtime. Well that was until today when I was called out for it.

I'm one of those coaches who calls her kids out on their crap. They do something they shouldn't and they get to hear from me. I don't let the morals and ethics slide on my team. Laziness. Not happening. Cussing. Nope. Fighting. Heck no. Bullying. Don't even think about it. Sometimes it comes to them like a slap in the face, metaphorically speaking of course. They don't even know I'm watching until it's too late. I pull them aside and I see the faces turn downcast. I sometimes get tears from the ones who really know they shouldn't have been acting that way. Well today, the coach was coached.

I had been in a sour mood for the past two days and I couldn't figure out why. That's when God, acting as my coach, stepped in and slapped me in the face. Here are His words to me. "If you find yourself a bit irritated (Yes, I do.) or overwhelmed (Yes to that one as well.) it's a sign that you're spending less time with Me and more time in this world." Well shoot, He's right. My face turned into that sad pouting puppy that had just been reprimanded and then the tears started to flow. I felt terrible! I was fooling myself into thinking that just because I was reading His word and just because I was praying meant I was doing enough. But that's the problem. That may have been only what He required of me last year, but now I'm different. I'm to a place where I need to be putting Him into every crevasse of my life. I had been spending too much time on my couch watching movies, scrolling through twitter, and stupidly browsing the internet. I'm not saying those things are forbidden in my life and I don't think He believes they are either, but when was the last time I thought about bringing people to Him? When was the last time I had meditated on who, what, where, how, why He was? When was the last time I worked for His kingdom? Ya, that might have been Monday. That was five days ago. I went five days without living for Him!!! I went two days feeling miserable and not knowing why! How blessed am I that my Coach came in a called me out on my crap!

I was miserable because my focus changed from the eternal to the world. So I was stuck crying, and not those pretty tears I might add. When God gives me a wake up call there are no such things as pretty tears. But thankfully He's the type of coach I am. When I see those kids sorry for what they did, I don't leave them crying. I pull them in and remind them who they are and how much I love them. Any anger I might have had immediately disappears. I tell them that this doesn't mean I don't care for them anymore. I just had to show them they were doing something wrong so they would realize the harm it was doing to them and their team. And I laugh because that's exactly what He did to me. My tears slowly stopped as I was comforted by a force I can't explain. And I've learned if you can't explain something God is without a doubt at work. After I got my head back on straight I felt joy and the only way joy can come that quickly is from the Holy Spirit. I bowed my head, got down on my knees, and told God, "I'm sorry. I'm yours. You are my King and I will once again serve You."