Prepared

          A great coach must be prepared in order to have players that are prepared for different game situations. While a coach is the leader of the team, the players still need to lead as well because the coach cannot go on the field or the court to make plays. When I played football in college our defensive coordinator gave us a booklet that had just about every possible offensive formation that a team could run against our defense and what positions each defensive player should be in for each defensive call. It was a lot to know but we were very prepared because our coach had put in the needed time to help us plan well.
           In football it is important to be alert and to keep one’s eyes open wide. It is natural before contact with another player occurs to close one’s eyes, but in order to best make a play on the ball a player needs to keep their eyes open as long as possible to try to catch the ball or knock it away from an offensive player.
         Similarly, in our Christian lives God provides advice for us to be alert and to be prepared. Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42. In total God wants us to keep our faith in Him and be able to persevere until life everlasting in heaven.
          Recently there was a TV commercial for a new car. The tagline for the commercial was, “It’s ready. Are you?” Unfortunately, the fine print at the bottom of the screen read, “Prototype shown.” So, apparently the car company was not as ready as they would like you to believe. God is always ready and prepared though; we need to follow the lead of our coach and be alert and prepared as well. God has given us a detailed playbook in the Bible that lets us know what to do in every situation. We can read it and take it to heart. Superb coaches have great preparation and God is the best prepared of all coaches.