Friendly Coaching

Friendly Coaching

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

“This new group coming up is horrible!” my son Donnie lamented after dinner one evening following his first lacrosse practice of the season.

“Why? How do you know this?” I responded, trying to understand.

“Well, that’s what the other players are saying.”

We talked more about the younger boys coming up in the ranks and about how it felt when he was a freshman. We discussed what it means to be a part of a team, how making judgments based only on others’ statements isn’t really fair to the new players. Then Kyle and I challenged him this way: “What if instead of dismissing these younger boys, you taught them? How could you help them get better? How could you make your team stronger as a whole?”

Donnie nodded with understanding, while still unsure that it’d work. He agreed that he’d look for an opportunity to help a younger player in the following days.

Although I’d love for my son to include others and take the time to teach them, I know I have felt the same frustrations he’s encountered. I’ve had jobs where others couldn’t quite remember what to me seemed the most obvious of things; and even at home, I get annoyed having to remind my kids of their chores. I can be stingy when it comes to the time it takes to share knowledge or train my kids, and my son is no different. Sometimes it takes intentionally putting aside our own desires to help out someone else.

Paul encourages the Philippian believers to not only care about themselves but to look out for and take an interest in others as well. It’s a challenge to us all to care about and build one another up instead of criticizing or withholding our knowledge and time. What better way to extend friendship and be generous with our talents than to share our knowledge with others?

— Kendra

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Take the time to teach someone a skill or offer guidance to someone who needs a little extra help.