I would like to tell you two stories that helped me keep a proper view of what is important in our lives---especially in coaching. The first story happened when Arlene and I saw a couple who had moved out of the area after the man’s retirement from public school teaching and coaching. As we talked, another coach’s name was mentioned that I had not seen for some time. I was saddened to learn that Mike and his wife were divorced. I asked Arlene later if she remembered the dinner when we had Mike and his wife into our home? As we talked about that evening, I mentioned the antique clock. Our future son-in law and our daughter were in the family room playing pool. As the four of us sat talking after dinner, the sound of breaking glass halted our conversation. Scott had gotten excited about a good shot and whirled around and his cue broke a pane in the clock. My response to this frightened future member of the family was “Don’t worry, Scott, a thousand years into eternity it won’t really matter.” This led to a discussion about why I didn’t get upset and---what did I really believe about eternity. That was an interesting evening. I tell that little story because it really does matter what we think about eternity. How we react to the events of our days and weeks will be determined by our perspective of what the years and decades and centuries ahead hold for us.

The second story developed like this. Soon after I thought about my friends and that dinner discussion, I realized I was not having good time from a coaching standpoint. My team had lost three games in a row. We had lost key players to injury and for discipline reasons. The prospect for success the next week wasn’t all that good as we faced another tough WCAL team in Saint Ignatius. I kept thinking, "Do Christians just grin and say ‘It’ll all be fine in a hundred or a thousand years?'" These thoughts and questions led me to realize this. I have found that as I pray and ask God to help me respond in a proper way to losses, injuries, discipline problems and so many other frustrating situations, that He reminds me again to see things of eternal value, on the one hand, and things that need to be dealt with but not worried over, on the other hand.

God did it again that week. I got a call on a Thursday night to sub on Friday. I walked with the fourth period I was covering to the last chapel of Spiritual Emphasis Week. As that hour or so came to a close, the speaker asked for kids to make certain choices---that would “Really matter a thousand years into eternity.” As I sat and watched, a number of the JV players got out of their seats and went down to the floor of the gym. I quietly thanked God again for painting a very clear picture for me of what ultimately matters in His great plan. We would work hard to win on that Saturday and I would continue to encourage the guys when they’re hurt or make poor choices, but I will treasure most the victory that was won in the Gym that Friday. I like the words of a favorite hymn of mine: “This our song of victory, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.” Romans 2:7 “Eternity is for those who patiently do good.”

Coach Hitch