The Coach

All his life, Doug Blevins always dreamed of becoming a National Football League coach. So, he flooded New York Jets manager Dick Steinberg with letters. He pointed out the flaws of the team’s place kicker, Cary Blanchard. He also suggested how Blanchard can improve his kicking ability. Blevins so impressed the team manager that he got hired as its kicking consultant. Fast Company magazine praised Blevins’ coaching in an article aptly titled, “This Coach Helps the Best to Hit Their Stride” (Sept. 2008 issue): “Trainers in every business can learn from Blevins’s teaching techniques. He breaks every motion down to its component parts, then squeezes out incremental but critical improvements. And he knows just how much he can change in a player—and when he should leave well enough alone.” Sounds like a coach at par with the great Vince Lombardi.

What’s so amazing with Blevins is that he never coached any team before. He never even tried a field goal. To top it all, he has never ever walked!

Blevins was born with the debilitating cerebral palsy.

Yes, his flesh is weak. But he overcame it with his more than willing spirit. Sadly, when a door opens for us to serve God through our church, we close it outright. Our flesh is not only weak. Our spirit is even unwilling. No matter how learned or how gifted or how talented we are, unless we make ourselves available for God we will not attain anything significant at all. When Isaiah saw the glory of God, he saw how unworthy he was. “Woe to me! ... I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5, NIV) He could have used that as an excuse. He could have claimed, “I’m unworthy to serve.” But God dealt with it. He cleansed Isaiah. So, when the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah cried out, “Here am I. Send me!” (v. 8) What’s your excuse? God’s grace is so sufficient for whatever it is that is keeping us from obeying His call. For “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Brethren, yes we are weak but we can be strong in the Lord.