“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from you Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
– Matthew 10:29-31  (ESV)

Baggage! Every athlete we work with brings some of it with them. It doesn’t matter what level we coach; we are responsible for the young men and women with baggage in their lives. They come from homes and environments where hurt is part of life. Every one of them is looking for something, but they may not even know what it is themselves. The few hours of practice may be the only time they feel significant or receive a word of encouragement. For some, a coach may be the only person who makes them feel like they are worth anything at all. I wonder how many of us truly understand the critical role we play in the lives of our athletes. Sometimes we can underestimate our unique opportunity. Not only can we teach them how to shoot a jump shot or lay down a bunt, but we can also teach them how to believe in themselves, be part of a team, and how to recover from a difficult loss. Each person we coach, has value in God’s eyes, so they should have value in our eyes too.

Jesus uses the insignificant sparrow to teach us an important lesson about our value. Not a single sparrow dies without God knowing about it. The same God who cares about a sparrow also knows how many hairs are on the head of each of His children. If God cares this much about sparrows and hair, just how much does He care about each of us and the athletes we coach? He cared enough to allow His Son to die an agonizing death on a cross to pay the price for your sins and mine. I challenge you to find the picture of the last team you coached. Look at the faces in that picture and realize that God places a high value on each person there. How do you see them?

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me, baggage and all. Help me see the baggage in the lives of those You have called me to serve. Give me the desire to pour into their lives as You pour into mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.