the Lord gives and the Lord takes away…
I’ve written this post 100 different ways in my mind, and I can’t seem to grasp the best way to do it.
Every time I sit down to write, I struggle.
But I want share anyway, so please forgive my lack of eloquence.
This morning, all I could think of is the verse in Job 1 that says …the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I’m going to go with that theme as I try to explain what is happening in our world.
In 2018, we saw God’s hand in so many tangible ways. It was a beautiful sight to behold and it was easy to be full of praise and thanks for his handiwork. We are so thankful for the gifts he showered abundantly on us, and for all the ways he blessed our family.
And then…
Have you ever had an “and then…” moment? As in, “Everything was going great and then…”
A month ago, we had an and then.
And then something came out of nowhere and knocked us over.
For the last four weeks, we have sought the Lord with all that we have: praying, reading scripture, fasting and listening for his direction. (I have cried. A lot).
I don’t fully understand what happened, and I suppose I never will. And that’s ok because God knows and I trust him.
I’m not sure even what to share, because I want to honor all of the parties involved.
So I will simply say this…
For numerous reasons, Ben stepped down yesterday as the head football coach at Blaine.
As an explanation, here is an excerpt of what he said to his players:
This is one of the hardest things that I have ever done. I have no desire to leave, and this is not what I want to do, but I think it is the right thing to do. Hopefully, one of the life lessons that you will learn is that often the right thing to do is not easy, popular, or even what you WANT.
As we have moved into the offseason, it has become clear that my vision for this team does not match with the rest of the staff and administration. This is not MY team. This team, this tradition, is bigger than me. I have the deepest appreciation for the opportunity I was given to work with you. I am beyond blessed to have been allowed to be a part of the Bengal family, and I have too much respect for the staff and administration to continue down my own path. They deserve to have a head coach that has the same vision as they do.
The head coaching job at Blaine is a HUGE commitment. I have always held to the belief that priorities need to be FAITH, FAMILY, and then FOOTBALL. I firmly believe that family needs to come before football, and I cannot justify rearranging my priorities so that my own family takes a back seat to football. I don’t believe that is how a man is supposed to live.
Throughout my short tenure here I have tried to communicate to you what I believed was my one job… “To love you”. I hope that you feel loved. I hope you know that although I am no longer the head coach, I still love you guys, and will support you in whatever way I can. Blaine is a special place and one person leaving will not ruin the incredible tradition and culture that has been built here over the decades. I am blessed to have been surrounded by such incredible young men, and I will continue to be your biggest fan. Once a Bengal, ALWAYS a Bengal.
And with that, Ben’s short tenure with Blaine football was done.
Sometimes, our plan is not the same as God’s plan.
This is one of those times.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, but we will continue to bless his name.
We are overwhelmingly thankful for our time as Bengals, mostly because of the incredible players and their families. The Blaine football community is special and we were blessed to be a part of it.
As for the future, we don’t know what it holds, but we do know who holds it.
Therefore, we will continue to trust and praise God because he is GOOD.
He is our rock, and he will hold us securely in the midst of this storm.
We will continue to chase after him with reckless abandon, because that is our calling.
We will proudly proclaim that when all else fails, our God never does.
He alone is worthy of all the glory, all of the honor and all of the praise.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Dear Friends, I honestly don’t know know how Ben and I would have walked this road if we didn’t have the strength of God filling us every day. He has faithfully carried us with his strong right hand and sheltered us in his wings. His promises have been our armor and protection. We praised him from the mountain and we are praising him from the valley.
I don’t know where you are on the journey of life. Maybe you are standing atop the mountain. Maybe you are walking low in the valley. Maybe you are climbing up but getting weary. Maybe you are having an “and then” moment. No matter where you are, you don’t have to do this life on your own. God’s love is available to you, if only you ask him. He is waiting with open arms to carry you, sustain you, and fill you. His love is boundless, his strength is endless, his goodness is limitless, and he is all you need to endure. On the good days and bad days, he will be with you. If you put your trust in him, he will be your joy in the victories and your anchor in the storms. No matter what comes, he will hold you firmly in his grip.
You need only to ask.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be his name.
As always, I love hearing from you. Comment below or send me a message and I will get on my knees for you. Let’s do this faith journey together.
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Thank you for sharing. Brave and courageous act by your family. Be Calm, know God has a plan.
Thank you Sarah! We trust him with our everything!
I love your truth and your transparency Aminta❤️ I can relate so many times to all your writings😊 keep them coming.
God is so great. I ❤️ That He gave you such a beautiful gift of writing from your true heart.
You and your beautiful family will be in my prayers.
Thank you so much Charity!
Faith, Family, Football! No arguments here!!
Well done Ben!! Great life lesson for the kids and community too!
Side Note: Tony Dungy, Tim Tebow, the current Clemson University quarterback and dozens of other accomplished, successful athletes made similar decisions in their careers too. It’s never easy, but it is God honoring!
Thank you for the support!
Happy New Year and thanks, as always, for sharing. I faced a similar dilemma several months ago. I had a job I enjoyed, that offered excitement and growth. But I was traveling far from home on a regular basis. It was great! Adventure, career growth and immense satisfaction—for me. One night, I heard my kiddo praying for God to find me a job I could do without “leaving so much”. It broke my heart. I thought we were doing good, co-parenting with my ex and all was good. But for my son, it wasn’t so good. I started looking for some signs from God and then, a new opportunity found me. I thought I would be giving up a lot careerwise. I haven’t. It’s been (literally!) an answer to a prayer. I work minutes from our home and I am experiencing blessings by the ton. I work for amazing people and my stress level is zero and the excitement level is 100 and the challenges I crave are still there! And it’s better for my son and me. I miss my old job and customers and friends and it’s “different”, but it’s just what God had planned for me and my family. YOU and your family are in good hands too. I won’t say ‘good luck’, because you won’t need luck. You already have what you guys need. So I will say instead, enjoy the ride and congrats on your next adventure. ❤️
Wow Devin. This is an amazing story. Thank you for sharing that with me. It does give me hope that there is something else around the corner. I shared this with my hubby too… thank you.
Also— super happy for you and this awesome change in your life.
Prayers for continued blessings for you and your son. Thanks again for sharing.
Your an amazing guy Ben, you always have been. I admire the decision you made, and it doesn’t surprise me at all. God Bless you and your beautiful life ahead.
This was so beautifully written Minta, and so bittersweet to read. I am so proud of the faith and courage you and Ben have demonstrated through all of this.
Thanks sweet sister. We appreciate your support. Love you
Beautiful! I am praying for you all, Aminta!
Thank you!
praying God will show you a clear direction for your family’s future! Thanks for posting!
Thank you Noreen!
Ben is an amazing football coach but Faith and Family have to come before football. God will honor you for this hard sacrifice but sometime life lessons are harder then we think they should be but God know what our future holds. Trust in him. Prayers for you both and your family.
Dawn
Thank you so much!
Thanks for your sharing
I think the “other staff and administration” are making a big mistake . I loved the way Ben tended not only to the athletic development of the team, but also to their spiritual and moral development as young men. One result? A phenomenal season. Another result? The realization that there is more to life than football and winning. I believe Ben has made an indelible imprint on the lives of these young men.
Thank you Matt. We appreciate your encouragement more than you know. God is good and we are trusting his plan.
[…] (If you haven’t read my last post that explains the storm, click here.) […]
Wow. What an intense roller coaster girl … I am inspired by your faith and love for your husband. ❤️😍 Hold true to God’s promises, even in the storm!! I’m praying for you 🙏
Thank you so much Jonna!
By resigning, I feel like Ben taught those boys more about who God wants them to be someday as fathers, than years of coaching could have. Actions speak louder than words. Ben lives it out. Ben is exactly the kind of man I hope coaches my boys someday. My heart breaks for you but I believe with you – blessed be the name of the Lord.
Amen girl. Thanks so much for reading.
I didn’t get to know the coach this year, as my football player is a sophomore so he was on J Team. I admire your resolve to put your family first (after God), which is how it should be. Children grow up way too quickly and being there in these years is so important. Good luck in your future endeavors. God bless you and your family.
Thank you so much.
I played with Ben and he was a special person in school and has developed that character to lead young men and women. That character was shaped by many others from the past decades of Bengals. To be privileged to lead them and stay true to his character, even if it means to make the difficult decision to leave the team, is true leadership. Leadership and character taught to Ben and many others by past Bengal Coaches, being a better man is more important than being a better football player.
Ben way to lead even when moving out of the way.
Morty
Thanks for your words. I showed them to Ben. Blessings to you!