As the head women’s basketball coach at the same institution for 26 years, I had just completed a rewarding season. We had a great group of athletes who played their hearts out, got along well and won games. There were many magical moments during the season, and no one wanted it to be over. But all good things must come to an end.

Like many coaches, I went through a period of letdown in which I needed to recharge for the next season. Though we’d just finished one season, a new one was around the corner. Thankfully, I had learned years before that what I enjoyed most about coaching was the process of preparing for “what is not seen.” So even though I didn’t know what tomorrow or the next season would bring, which recruits we’d need, or whether those recruits would blend well with the veterans, I knew that the unknowns at the end of a season didn’t have to be unnerving. Instead, they could be exciting—if I had faith! 

That’s why I’m encouraged that “faith is the reality of what is hoped for.” It energizes us. As coaches, we don’t have to rely on ourselves, our players or our records. Instead, because Christ gave up His control by going to the cross for our sake, we can give up control and rely on Him. His peace is “the proof of what is not seen,” regardless of the circumstances.

It quiets me to know that God is in control and that, win or lose, Christ has given me the faith to tackle another season and the hope that the best is yet to come! As we prepare for the unknowns of the next season (or even the next contest), we can rest in the assurance that Christ has filled us with His Holy Spirit, offering us hope for eternity and recharging us along the way!