Every year around this time, the Dogwood’s begin to bloom and signs of life start to spring up all around us. Around campus, the coeds start sunbathing on the quad and pools at apartment complexes open to the public…..every college student seems to catch ‘puppy fever’ and everyone resumes their warm weather lifestyles. People start washing their vehicles again, Yeti coolers take a permanent position in the back of the brand new Silverado Crew Cab, and those neon toy sunglasses make their annual appearance on the patio of the corner wing joint.
Its simply that time of year. Then, usually around midnight…maybe 2 am….their is a knock on my office door….or any coaches door….
“Hey (any Coach in America), you got a minute?!”
Me….trying to widen my eyes and appear as though I have slept in the past week, “Sure, whatcha got man?”
“Well, Coach I’ve been up all night! And I need to talk to you about something…”
…….OK…Zack Morris moment here, “FREEEEEEEZE”
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Do we understand the levity of that phrase, “Up all Night“?????? There are several levels to that statement… There is the “I pulled an all-nighter studying for Gozenbach’s PR Exam!”, the “we ended up at Rounder’s Bar!”, and don’t forget the ever popular “I had to take care of my sick roommate” stories. However, in this case, not me or the student-athletein this scenario is…
“Up all Night for Good Fun!”
Upon the student athletes statement a hundred possibilities come to mind and how this individual soul standing in front of me is handling the situation….he is sick….failing a class…homesick….long-distance girlfriend….girlfriend cheated….girlfriend pregnant….parental pressure…..parent sick….parents divorcing….financial issue…..car trouble…..substance abuse issue…….mental health issue….depression……
“UNFREEZE”
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“Well Coach, (tears slowly accumulating in the crease of his eyes) I got a phone call and (select any or all of the above mentioned scenarios)!”^^^^^^^
The first thing I ask the player to do is go grab him a protein shake and me a coffee (2 creams and 2…erh…4 sugars) … Second, I tell him to verbally tell me everything that’s going RIGHT in his life! EVERYTHING! (This should take a while)! 3am hits… I want him to hear it come out of his mouth. I want those words to ring in his ears and soak in to his soul. He needs to hear himself say it!
After the tears have almost stopped, I ask a simple but revealing question, “With all of this going right, why are we always SHOCKED by any resistance!?” You are a collegiate student-athlete! There are so many blessing right now….there are going to be some BIG stressors! Even though we are on TV for 12-15 Saturday’s a year, life still happens to us like it does anyone else! Sometimes it is as simple as being homesick. Other times, the situations are much more complex and personal. Regardless, it’s REAL and it hurts!
The difference….something I still struggle with…is how we think about these issues that pop up and the plan that we have for the issues when they pop up! So……
Real Talk: Anyone who comes to you in this situation wants to talk to you and for you to listen. At this point, as my former players will tell you…….they have already heard my heartache stories prior to this occasion……We have had our heart-to-heart moments. We’ve shed tears over life, death, and broken hearts. It is Real! It is Genuine! A Mentor Leader Relationship!
Its time for application……………
My application is how incredible of a job that Jesus did as the Offensive Coordinator of the gospels! Let’s pick-up his game plan in the gospel of Luke…
Jesus was rolling…I mean He was dominating! Jesus was healing left and right! Beginning in Luke 4:31 Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit, healed Simon’s mother-in-law (I really want to insert a joke here), laid His hands on many sick and diseased people and healed them, casted out demons, cleansed a leper, and healed a man with a withered hand! …..dominating the scene!
So many things were going right…so many blessings. But there were some……lets say….”ISSUES”:
The authorities…or ‘sweater vests’ as I call them….sat back and HATED! HATED! HATED! In today’s language, “They saw Him Rollin…They were Hatin’!” They were sitting back (arms crossed) on the back row, talking about how ‘they should be doing it’! How, if he was from different family, of a different race, maybe higher socio-economically……he would be a more appropriate miracle worker. How, if the group hadn’t been hanging out with John Doe or had dated Jane Doe then it would be appropriate. Sound familiar? And they didn’t go away! They plotted! They conspired! They slandered! They assaulted!
Well, Let me tell you guys a secret!! JESUS HAD A PLAN! He is the great , “I AM”! He prioritized his time and his issues…….perfectly! He had a goal! He had a date! He understood that time was of the essence and that most of these issues were simply mental and spiritual clutter! Jesus gives us a step by step game plan in how to handle our problems.
Take a look at Luke 6:12…..
“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and
UP ALL NIGHT…..
he continued in prayer to God!”
Jesus showed us the best example in history of prioritizing stress! Jesus Christ had a date…..a slow, painful, bloody, excruciating date ahead! A day He knew was coming! FAST! He was doing nothing wrong and everything right! But He knew that date was coming! So, he did a few things to strengthen himself and focus on the real WAR:
1: Jesus went OUT to the MOUNTAIN to pray! (He went to the private spot he felt closest to God).
2: Jesus stayed there ALL NIGHT! ALL NIGHT He stayed OUT at the MOUNTAIN to pray! When he had prayed ALL NIGHT, when “Daylight” came..Jesus went out and he called his chosen few….
“called His disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom He called apostles”
3: He resumed his ministry….. with even more focus and intensity than before!
He was stronger! He had talked to his Head Coach! He had met with his Strength Coach! He called together his Offensive Line, Tight Ends, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, and his Specialists……..
He was getting past the resistance, getting organized, and getting prepared for the war!
So, this week as we celebrated Easter and Christ’s resurrection, where were our priorities? Our stressors? Did we even ask God to help….or take them and hide them behind our pastel shirts and slacks?
I hide my problems sometimes!….We all hide them sometimes! But we have to have those people that will put on the Kevlar vest with us and get dirty! And we have to give them over to God!
How do you give your “Moments” to God…..
It’s time to make a plan for these Nights when you are not …..
“UP ALL NIGHT FOR GOOD FUN!”
Remember, if you are up…..and battling your thoughts…at 3am….with workouts at 5 and class at 8…….and you don’t know what to do….”Daylight Will Come“…..
Ask yourself:
-How important is what I am worried about?
-Is what I’m stressing about permanent or a “WHAT IF”?
-What is going RIGHT in my life?
If you are worried about….
-An Exam….you may just ace it!
-Failing a class…..you may just pass it!
–Long-Distance relationship…..they need to prove they are the one! And you do too!
-Your girlfriend/bf cheated…..great news…you get something better!
–She may not be pregnant…..but if she is……everything is going to be great!
-Your relative may not be sick….but if they are….its time to be strong!
Daylight will Come…….
Regardless of the stressor: Let’s use these mediations this week:
- “Panic is what you feel when you have no idea what you are doing….and I know exactly what I am doing!”
- “My core, my ‘twelve’ have my back and I have theirs. People may let me down but I’m stronger than most!”
- “I have to continue to prepare for my next opportunity! It may only come once and I’m not going to be distracted when MY chance comes!”
- “Think about what you are thinking about!”
My favorite that I use every single day:
“God has taken care of my for (____) years, and I see absolutely NO reason why he wont’ continue to take care of his child!”
Remember last Sunday!? He is Risen! I love you guys!
CoachKD
#mindstrong
coachkd.org 