In the midst of this season that my family and I are in I am in this daily battle of being thankful for my job but yet wondering why I have landed where I have. The continual question of “when will I land on the right team and in the right position?” keeps playing in my mind like a broken record.

It was early on a Friday morning, September 27th, that God “appeared” in a most unique way. Just two weeks earlier I met a dear old lady who came bounding into the store with a smile as bright as the sun. She comes in to the store each Friday to purchase a foot-long sub for her son who happens to be a mail carrier for the USPS. She loves life! Over the past few weeks we had some time to talk about life. During one of our conversations we found out that she used to be my elementary school teacher at a local school, Virginia Avenue. What a small world! She was so tickled to meet me that she leaned over the counter and gave me a big ole’ kiss on the cheek.

On this Friday morning, however, she had a message for me. We were speaking about life and some of the challenges that we had faced and just by sheer life experience hers far outweighed mine. I was encouraged by her journey and her perspective on life and the struggles within. She listened intently (probably far better than I did in her class) as I discussed my journey and my dreams. Pat “Patsy” Gochenour was so excited to share a personal poem with me that she returned later that day and presented me with her poem that was written on a professional template with the following note; To Jamie, with love. Patsy Gochenour. September 27, 2013. I give all credit to Patsy for this poem. May it encourage someone out their tonight!

Who is your Coach

In this game of life when things go wrong
And the first quarter is way out of bounds
I’ll look to the bench, for my Coach knows a play,
Which will turn this whole game around.

God is my Coach and on Him I rely
To send in the plays I must heed,
But the field is so long and each yard is so tough
How will I get the score I need?

Then low and behold from the sidelines they came
A mighty team of ten more.
His signals said in this game of life,
All Mankind can help you score.

I’m now at the 50 yard line in the game,
And it’s 4th and inches to go.
My offensive line didn’t fail me, you see,
For the yardage, I was too slow.

I couldn’t make the ground, I’d lost the ball,
And I thought my Coach would scream,
But instead He said, “You’ve done your best,
Now I’m sending in my defensive team.”

“They’ll keep your opponents from scoring,
And they’ll get you back the ball.
The defensive team I’m sending in
Will allow you to stand tall.”

It takes eleven men and eleven more,
And that makes twenty-two,
An offense and a defense,
If your game plan is to run smooth.

There are special teams and a coaching staff
And players of a hundred or more,
So, if I only can hold on to a faith that’s strong,
The whole team can help me score

If you want to win in this game of life,
And score on that final day,
Get yourself and offensive line
Who will take you all the way.

That’s my game plan, on this playing field of life,
When my three time outs are all gone,
To cross over that goal line, for God is my Coach,
And my offensive line is strong.

November 16, 1986