A few years ago, we had a team picture taken to be used for our team poster. It was in our locker room, staged with each player in uniform and basketballs and clipboards around. The set up caused the kids to be pretty excited. So the day the poster came, I sat my team down and unveiled the poster. What I expected to be enthusiastic faces, were disappointed and almost angry ones. It seemed the photographer, in trying to make the girls a bit more glamorous, had touched up most of the girls up and removed their scars. It was a slick, Hollywood look - one that you might see in Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Jacie was very clear in her disappointment. "He removed our SCARS, coach! They represent something that happened to each of us and they are part of us. What you see here is not who we really are." I was blown away by her response.

You see, these are the same young ladies who wear makeup, color their hair, and go to tanning salons.

A mixed message? Think about it, but before you do, go read John 4:1-42. It is the story of Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman at the well. What was she trying to hide? (v. 17) How did He respond?

Verse 39 states her testimony to the other folks. "He told me everything I ever did". Wow! And he still talked to her and cared.

Samaritans were usually avoided by the Jews and considered spiritual half breeds. The story reveals her life, and what obviously could have been the scars she was trying to cover up. But He accepted her and told her Truth.

Think about the young ladies on your team. Their scars are not just physical. They may be emotional, mental, spiritual, and sometimes they may try to hide them from you and the world. But my guess is that they are hungering to be noticed and to be told the truth. Let's all try to do a better job at accepting each of them, loving them, and helping them to understand that they do not need to hid these scars from us, their Kingdom coaches.

Keeping the Faith

Jane