Be Strong and Courageous

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." Joshua 1: 6-7

Last February, I had the great pleasure of watching a friend coach his middle school team in the city championship game. The kids on his team were smaller, less experienced, and were playing on the home floor of the opposing team. They overcame those obstacles to win the championship, and the game remains one of my top-ten live sporting events.

As I sat on the bleachers, I realized that I had played in this very gym while on my middle and high school teams. When I was a freshman in high school, I was asked to start a game because two of our starters could not come to the game. I was nervous about playing, but the bigger kids on the team said, "You stick with us, and you will be OK". My coach, whose name was Truett, also said, "I believe in you, and I knew I could do it". I would guess my performance was somewhere between "present" and "servicable". I have always thought of that night when I have been intimidated by a situation.

Truett passed away recently, and I was fortunate to be able to participate in his funeral. At that moment I described the pull that I have felt since my time with him, to encourage young children through coaching. I now coach t-ball, and I am always aware of the kids' need for encouragement, instruction, and love.

If Joshua was like me, he must have felt the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. In the passage above, he was called to lead the people of Israel into the land that God had promised to them. Fortunatly for him, he had watched Moses for years and it was now his turn to lead.

I feel that weight of responsibility as a parent, minister, friend, and coach. Fortunately for me, I had mentors like Truett that set the example for me to follow.