Confidence vs. Arrogance

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first season coaching at The Delmarva Christian High School. We had a few races where we fielded a complete team with 5 runners, but we’ll end the season at the State Meet with 3 runners (due to injury and sickness), all freshmen: Aaron, Jeremy and Jordan. Hopefully they learned as much from me as I learned from them.

I’d like to think I was a good runner in both high school and in college. But coaching these young men made me go back to basics, and I’d like to think it made me appreciate the sport even more. It made me realize that every athlete has to start their training at some time. When starting, Jeremy couldn’t even run 2 miles without stopping, and now he races 3 miles, has run 5 miles and even finished first on the team at one race this year. Aaron is athletic and even with asthma finished every race and also finished first on the team in a race or two. Jordan is also a beginner to running and he’ll be playing lacrosse in the spring, but he had the fastest times on the team and will most likely finish as the teams #1 runner. My congratulations and appreciation to each of them. Even though they were beginners, on many workouts I didn’t pull any punches and pushed them hard.

Besides coaching taking a lot of my time, my wife Lisa and I have been busy getting ready for the birth of our 2nd daughter, Charlotte, which could be here soon, I am figuring on the 15th (one day after the state meet if I’m able to attend the race). Excited – yes, fearful – yes but happy beyond any words – also YES.

Football is in full stride now and the playoff picture is beginning to take shape. I still stand by my earlier prediction of Colts over the Saints. Though injuries are mounting for the Colts. Keep you eyes on Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. And My Redskins… ugh… anyone seen the combine schedule yet?

Even though busy, we did have time to watch the World Series. While not the biggest of baseball fans, I did enjoy the Phillies this year, but I will tell you (and ask anyone that knows me), I did call the Yankees to win in 6. But even then, I have to admire Cliff Lee.

I can’t remember the exact quote, and I don’t have enough time to research it, but I can tell you what really hit me during an interview after the masterpiece he pitched in Game 1. When asked if he was nervous, he stated “No, I wasn’t nervous. I’ve been preparing for this my whole life, so I just went out and let my talent and my skills take care of everything else.” WOW…. What a statement. Read into it what you will and some reported it as cocky and arrogant while some reported it as strong and confident. Me? I’d be one to refer to it as strong confidence. Because yes, he has prepared for it his whole life and yes, he does have both talent and skill (as evidenced by his Cy Young award while pitching for the Cleveland Indians). So how did he top that? He went out and pitched another gem in Game 5.

But, the Phillies did spoil us this year. Last year, 2008, was exciting almost from Opening Day and even back into Spring Training when you could tell that The Phillies were a special team. So then they go into the post season and win the World Series and the newspapers carried the stories until December and the television replayed the season’s highlights at least that long. Then going into 2009, Phillies fans were geared up all through winter into Spring Training again right up to the first pitch on Opening Day. And then 7 months of Phillies baseball. But now it’s November 2009 and they’ve just lost the World Series to The Evil Empire….. now what? For the better part of 19 months, we’ve heard Phillies Phillies Phillies…. What now. Now that the ride is over and they didn’t win it all will we still see them on the first page of every sports section around here? Who knows.

One of my favorite books in The Bible is Galatians and Pastor Tim of my church, Milton Wesleyan, touched on this a week ago. Galatians 5:7-9 tell us “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough”. Further, verses 25-26 tells us: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

As a Christian, I feel it my duty to share with others my faith rather than to condemn others for their lack of faith. I’d like to think that Jesus knew me even when I didn’t know Him and whether I knew it or not, He didn’t give up on me, not once. Was Jesus confident on the cross? Absolutely. Jesus had confidence and strength in God, Our Heavenly Father, just as Jesus has confidence in you and in me.

So, when I share my faith with you, you can call me arrogant or you can call me confident – either way, I’m okay with that.