Tennis is a game of precision, endurance, and strategy–where every serve, volley, and return requires focus and discipline. For those who would argue that tennis isn’t a sport at all, I’d bet money they haven’t spent 15 minutes attempting it.
It’s not easy. I know. I’ve not only played it for 30 years, I’ve also been a coach the past 5. Last week, I started my third year as Head Coach for a local high school Junior Varsity team.
I love teaching JV. I get students who are just picking up a racquet for the first time and students who barely missed the Varsity team, so I see every level. These first few weeks are my favorite because I also get to work hard to get my new players to trust that I’m on their side. That I’m not there to critique and shame. I’m there to add to their game, not take away.
Some players resist pretty hard. Maybe they are locked into the way they were taught before. It could be an inability to be coachable (an “I know better than you” attitude). Sometimes, it’s just a straight-up issue with authority.
But something cool happens when a student lets go and trusts that I’m there to help them grow and excel. I see it click in their eyes, and that’s when it all comes together.
I work hard for that trust, and I value it greatly.
That kind of trust–fully letting go and believing someone is for you–isn’t just crucial in tennis. It’s the same in our walk with God. Sometimes, we resist His guidance because we think we know better or we’re too set in our own ways. But when we finally surrender and trust that He’s not there to shame us but to shape us, everything starts to come together.
Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Like my players, we grow the most when we stop resisting and start trusting.
