I listened to one of my friends’ sermons this morning. He talked about their church going to a baseball game and he said a few of the avid baseball fans were sitting together and he said they questioned some of the coaches moves. We who are sports fans have a tendency to do that. He didn’t mention questioning the referees and umpires. I joked with the church yesterday about harassing umpires. We are taking up orders for church shirts with the church name on the back as a way to get our church name out in the community. I asked them if they were going to a ball game and planned on yelling at the officials, not to wear their church shirt.
My friend mentioned questioning the coaching decisions in passing, but a lot went through my mind about that one sentence. I thought about my friend Dave Barr who is currently the defensive coordinator for the current WV Class A state football champion Wahama White Falcons. I know Dave puts in a tremendous amount of time and study for a football game. Sometimes he will go and scout the team they’re going to play, actually driving to one of their games. Other times he watches their game films. He finds tendencies in the other team and tries to defend and exploit them. He also watches films from his own team’s past games trying to help the kids improve their defense. And each high school, college, and professional football coach goes through the same routine, working hard to prepare their teams. Yet this year, there will be people like me and you, who haven’t thought about football since last season, and we’ll question the coaches. Admittedly, the coaches are human and as such will make mistakes and players will sometimes not properly execute thereby making coaching decisions look poor, but they are in a much better position to make the game time decisions than are we the fans.
I hope you non-sports fans are still with me as I transfer this thought process to the Creator of the world and of us. We were created by the God who made the earth and set it in motion, who told the seas how far to come upon the shore, and who knows every detail of every thing and being. He knew us before we were born and knows every need we’ve ever had or will ever have. And verse after verse in His Word tells us that although we will go through difficulties on this earth, we need to continue to trust and obey Him. And if we do, one day all the turmoil and troubles of this life will pass and we will live with Him forever. Until then, we should do our best not to question His ways.
I’m certain I’ll think about this blog the next time I question a coaching decision or question God. I know I will do both. I’m not perfect. But I also hope when I do question that I can remember this blog and 1 Corinthians 13:12 which says: Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Scott Knowlton's Blog 
Love this blog and not because you mention me in it. It reminded me of something a friend of mine wrote on facebook. Dr. Kelly Roush wrote that when we face the troublesome times in life that Jesus helps us weather the storm and leaves us with a beautiful sunset. Last night, a storm blew up here at the beach. It blew all the chairs beside the pool violently into the fence around the pool. 45 minutes later, we were treated to a sunset that was the color of a dreamsicle. It was an awesome sunset but also a great reminder of what you and Dr. Roush were telling us all this week as you were thinking about God. Thank You!