Faith and trust

In team sports, it is very important for players and coaches to have faith and trust in each other.  Trusting in each other helps players concentrate on their assignments and allows the other players to focus on their assignments. Players need to value every player on the team and recognize the strengths and weaknesses of individual players. As they begin to trust each other, they will work more cohesively as a unit and this will result in a higher level of success.    
Every player on the team has a specialized skill.  We talk to our players consistently about being the best in their role to help the team.  It might be two plays a game.  It might be all the plays in the game.  It might be sideline energy, scouting or as a special teams player.     
Whatever the role of the player, the message is to be the best in the country at it.  As a coach, it is easy to emphasize how important each member is to the team, but it is so much more important to recognize these roles.    
The Dawgs are playing good football. We have three losses to three top ten state ranked teams (A&M Consolidated, Garland Sachse and Midway).  All three games have been good for the Dawgs.  We have improved tremendously and I believe playing this kind of competition prepares us for the rest of the schedule.
We know the remaining five teams will be equally as tough.  All of the remaining teams have tremendous talent.  It will take a valiant effort each week to defeat our opponents but if our play versus the three top ranked teams on our schedule are an indication of what will come, then I think we will have a good chance to be successful because our players are learning to trust and have faith in each other.
What is faith and what does it mean to have faith?  It is our steadfast faith that can bring us through the tough times.  When players trust each other, instead of blaming and cursing the present situation, they know their destiny will be in their perfection of play.
Many times when things do not go the way we want them to we think God doesn’t have our back.  We might get ourselves in a funk and believe we are destined for failure.  We need to realize our blessings and never lose our faith.  
Going through some difficult times reminds me of a story of a man shipwrecked.  There was a man that took a deep sea fishing trip and his boat sank unexpectedly.  He barely made it to an uninhabited island.  He had very few camping skills and did not possess any tools.  He was in trouble.  No one was around.  He could not see any land or other boats in the area.  What would he do?
This man did not understand how God could allow this to happen to him.  He was starving and had no shelter.  After a couple days he finally built a little covering for shelter and started a fire using skills he remembered from his boy’s scouting days.  He decided to venture out on the island to try to find food.  After a little while he noticed smoke so he ran back to the place he built a little shelter and discovered the fire got out of control.  His shelter was destroyed.  He cried out to God, “Why aren’t you helping me?”  He was exhausted so he laid down and fell asleep.
A short time later he was awakened by the sound of a boat.  He jumped up and down, waved his arms and screamed at the top of his lungs.  The boat driver saw him and he was rescued.  After getting on the boat he asked the boat driver how he knew he was on the island.  The driver said, “I saw your smoke signal and knew the island was uninhabited, so I came to find out what was happening.”
The next time we believe everything is not going our way, hopefully we can remember stories like this.  The things we think are terrible might just be the things preparing a road of success for us.  The Dawgs will continue to keep the faith, push for excellence and expect great things to come our way.
Thought for the week, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  Philippians 4:6