Every summer in June or July, Shawn and I venture off to our annual marriage conference. The conference is put on by Coaches Outreach. Coaches Outreach is a non-profit organization that believes in coaches and their ministry. In fact, they believe that coaches have one of the most influential ministries, as they estimate they will impact the lives of over 20,000 student-athletes in their coaching lifetime. Usually we go to Lake DeGray in Arkansas, but that conference was scheduled for our last day of school. So, this year we headed to Quartz Mountain Resort and it was absolutely beautiful and very peaceful! It's so rewarding to go to this conference every summer. We make relationships with other couples and it is comforting to know that hundreds of other wives go through the exact same thing I do. The guest speaker was really good this year. He is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, and did a great job of talking to us about living in a sacrificial marriage.
Of course, behind every good and Godly coach, there comes a supportive and loving wife. When I first married a coach, I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I knew whatever it was; I was in it "till death do us part." During football season, or widow season, as I call it, me and the kids don't see Shawn much at all. Monday-Thursday he'll get home around 7 P.M., and this time can fluctuate depending on the day. On Friday nights, it's game time, so I only see Shawn in the morning when we're getting ready for school and his backside on Friday nights as he coaches his boys. We'll go down on the field after the game and say hello for a few minutes--win or loose. He gets home in the wee hours of the Saturday morning. After getting about 4-5 hours of sleep...Shawn and his coaching crew are back up at the field house for a full day of recording statistics, breaking down game film from Friday's game, watching their upcoming opponent on game film, and the plethoric list goes on and on. We have dinner together on Saturday evening and try to do something fun with the kids. On Sunday we go to Sunday school and church, eat lunch, and then....yep, you've guessed it...back to the field house for Shawn! This is the life of about every coach and their family in the State of Texas, as far as football goes.
Shawn and I are working on nine years of marriage, and six of those years, I've been a coaches wife. I'm not going to paint a pretty picture, those first years of adjusting to his flighty schedule were difficult, and then we threw children in the mix of it all, and it got formidable. The years get better and better, though. During the last three football seasons; I've learned to do my own thing with the kids and treasure that time with them. And, during the absence of my husband, our hearts grow fonder as we all anxiously await his return.
I am so touched and honored to be apart of this ministry with Shawn. It's fun getting to know the kids and their families, and in turn, it's good for the kids to see us together as a family. I think of how many kids that Shawn has already made such a positive impact on and it's truly rewarding. I see the role of being a coaches wife such a huge blessing and I wouldn't change it for the world.
I've posted several pictures of some things we did during our down time. For most of the conference we do praise/worship followed by sessions with the guest speaker, we follow-up with our small-groups for discussion, and we enjoy some great food in between.
I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. Song of Solomon 6:3
A quick picture before we hit the road
Our driving companions, The Hylander's
Getting ready to tackle the longest waterslide in Oklahoma!
And, we're off...
During our couple's time, we decided to climb a mountain, and this was our beautiful view. We were only half way up at this point. It was absolutely amazing!
Us and our small group leaders, Dwayne and Kay McMeans. My hair was sticking up and a complete wreck at this point because we got rained on...lovely!
2 comments:
I have come to realize you savor the special moments in life! Especially when they are few and far between. May God bless this season!
You all are having such a fun-filled summer. I am jealous! Next summer Bret and I are taking a much needed couples vacation. We miss you and hope to see you soon.
Love, Jenny
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