In the mid-1990s, at the age of 50, I found myself at a crossroads. Though I possessed the wisdom that comes with age, my social maturity was akin to that of a mid-teen. I was without a job, as the store I had owned went belly up, and I was recovering from major abdominal surgery. Amid these challenges, the only silver lining at that time was my role as the assistant swim team coach at a local high school.
The team consisted of about thirty teenagers, each with social maturity levels that sometimes resembled that of a seven-year-old; they complained, bickered, whined, and occasionally swore at me, to which I sometimes reciprocated with a blessing of my own. Despite their youthful antics, they shared a profound sense of friendship among themselves. By midseason, this friendship extended to include me.
Another word for friendship is love. I cherished coaching that team; I dedicated almost 15 years to it, yet I was still emotionally akin to a teenager when I stepped away. The primary shift during my time was the deepening of my love for the students. It felt as though God took over my heart, transforming how I viewed each athlete. Halfway through my coaching journey, I returned to college to pursue teaching. God led me into the high school classroom and eventually into the college classroom, all inspired by the love and effort demonstrated by those initial 30 swimmers who reminded me that God’s name is Love.
P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Love is God’s symphony, the perfect beauty!
Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
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