A story from my week.

November marks the third year of coaching high school swimming for me. I've learned a lot the past two years. actually, to be honest the past two years were like, 100% learning.

Its weird to learn something you're familiar with. I grew up on a pool deck, but suddenly, as a coach, I'm clueless.

To say the least it was a struggle. Kids were totally disrespectful, rude, peeing in water bottles on the bus, lighting farts ON FIRE on the bus (ya, open flame HELLLO!) spit wads, back talking, whining, complaining. Public peeing. That sums up two years for me. Me saying "get in the POOL" 100 times over...

I could also sum up the last two years with laughter, friendship, kids improving, working hard, stepping up to the challenge, winning. ahhh....that sweet sweet word. winning. feelings of pride and joy and excitement. And really, lots of laughter.

But we struggled with respect.

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Ian and i have been praying for the swim season. For the better 1/2 of the month. and my prayer has been this: Kindness. (oh, and then we had a crap load of kids come out for the team!) so since November 10th my prayer has been that kids would feel valued, along with my continued pray for kindness.


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Last night was the parent meeting.

And one of the things Elizabeth and i learned the past two years is that we can't do it all. We can not, (and will not!) organize all the team dinners, order the sweats, plan every fundraiser, organize the banquet. I will spend two hours on a pool deck with your kid 5 days a week, i will get up early the week of holiday to be at the pool and coach your kid, i will travel around the entire state of Oregon for swim meets, I will stay up until the wee hours of the morning baby sitting your kid in hotels, I will do whatever i can to have your kid be a fast swimmer with good technique but the rest of that stuff? Mom and dad - you're helping out. Its a good lesson for us to learn by year 3. Parents can help. (and the astounding thing is they WILL help)

After the meeting a handful of parents were hanging around, talking. And this one mom said the most beautiful thing. Her daughter had come home from practice and said "mom, everyone is so nice"

and this parent was saying "its so refreshing, because that's not what she says after softball, usually its griping about things like she said, he said, his cousins boyfriend said...." you know. HS stuff.

But that comment "everyone is so nice"

I had that overwhelming sense of the Lord. Ya know that totally undeniable sense? and He was saying keep praying for kindness

And can i be honest about my prayer? The better 1/2 of the month, when I've been praying for kindness, its been totally selfish. 100% about me. I wanted the kids to be kind to me. me.me.me.

That prayer was about no more public peeing, no more farts being lit on fire, no more me begging a kid to get in the pool. I wanted my job to be easier. I wanted kids to be nice to me

But guess what? I was stunned. Because that prayer has worked. The kids have been amazing. (I'll keep you posted after we travel for the first time!) But they have been kind to me.

And they have also been kind to each other.

Its a beautiful thing. Ian and i are just being transformed by watching the Lord work in our lives. His fingerprints all over our days. Answering prayers, even the most selfish prayers i pray, He answers in ways that blow my mind.