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I’m a great sports enthusiast and a loyal fan.

My husband, Mike, and I do a certain amount of “couch coaching.” We zealously try to help the coaches on TV with football, basketball, baseball and tennis, only to notice they’re not listening to us or even trying some of our suggestions.

We think we’re good at it since we played and watched sports with older siblings, neighborhood kids and family members, as children, while we were competing through our school years in big schools in California.

Our children did the same in Washington state. We enjoyed, as adults, cheering on and coaching our children’s teams as they played in junior and senior high school, including football, baseball and volleyball.

I notice that some athletes on these teams today stand still and wait for the ball to come to them. If they “go get the ball” or at least run to the area of the court or field where the action is, they’ll be ready to take an active part in scoring or helping their teammates score or defend a goal.

Timing is crucial. If they hesitate, they’ll be too late.

I always encouraged my children and grandchildren to “dive” for the ball

when we played on our grass, and they did! Lots of screaming and laughing.

I think this concept is a viable, visual lesson for every area of our lives. It’s very different playing or working with a team.

We have to draw a line not to be selfishly, pushing our way through (ball hog) but being aware of our strengths and the strengths of the team to gel for more positive, winning results.

Our ability to “listen” to band members and singers we worked with in the studios and concerts made an incredible difference in blending to win.

Sometimes it’s important to wait, which is part of being patient and being a

patient.

Waiting can be an action word. While we wait for things or people, keep busy and productive. Be a good waiter. A good waiter in a restaurant is attentive to his assigned tables but not annoying or wanting to be your new buddy. He keeps track of everyone’s order, water and needs, moving about the room smoothly and happy to serve.

As a Christian woman, teacher and psalmist, I lean on His Scripture that reminds me, “Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart” and “teach me Your way and lead me in a smooth path…” Psalm 27: 11 & 14 (NKJ) A powerful Word just for us, thank You, God.

Kathie Deasy writes about religion for Port Arthur Newsmedia. She can be reached at kathiedeasy@hotmail.com.