Rick Warren's tweet got me to thinking: Everytime Jesus met a hurting person, he chose a relationship over rules and regulations.

That morning on my dog walk, I stopped at the elementary school playground(to throw the purple ball, ha). It's before school starts, so its usually empty.  But that day there were 3 boys practicing their flair screens on the basketball court.  I watched, and could not resist, so I went over and began to "coach" them.  We were having a blast - pick and pop, back screens.  And the entire time my 2 shelties were just hanging out, waiting for me to get finished, so we could walk play some more. A male teacher came hurriedly across the lot and sternly said to me, "the dogs have to be on a leash".  He was definitely a rule follower, so I  took my pups and left leaving my 3 new friends and their new skill sets behind.  Walking home, I remembered that tweet.  In a way, I gave up the relationships with these boys to follow that rule/regulation.  Was that rule necesssary to follow when no one else was on the playground and my shy shelties presented no harm?

John Wooden told me once that in his early coaching years, he had lots of rules and a few suggestions.  But in his later years, he had few rules and lots of suggestions.  That is a philosophy I have adopted, as I truly believe my job as a coach, is to help these young girls figure out how to live well, not just to be able to follow my rules.

Still, rules make it easy, sometimes, and keep things on a team running smoothly.

Read John 8.  Its' when the crowd brings the women caught in adultery to him: "Teacher," they say to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.  Moses' law says to kill her,what about it?" (v 4-5).   He just wouldn't answer, but he said, (v 7) "Hurl the stones at her until she dies.  But only he who never sinned may throw the first!" Then he stooped down again and wrote some more in the dust."  And one by one they left.  Seems even the Pharisees could understand his point.  And he sent the lady off with no condemnation, and the words, "go and sin no more".

Did you ever wonder what He wrote in the sand?  Why he didn't try and fix her?  Why He didn't give her some advice about how to get out of this unhealthy relationship?

Jesus,  John Wooden, and a school teacher on the playground.  Rules? Regulations? Relationships? For your life and for your team?

And by the way, there are plenty more stories of Jesus and what he chooses.

Keep striving to coach in His kingdom ways.

And Keep the Faith,

Jane