It could have turned into my mid-life crisis. January 14, 2002, was a low point of my life. I was 46 years old. I had just been fired as the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Looking back and seeing how things have worked out, it’s easy for me to say now that God had a plan for me and my family. But on that day, the day I lost my job, I wasn’t so sure. For all of my faith in God, and my belief in His promises, I was wondering and questioning. At that point, I had to decide what course I would take. Would I wallow in self-pity and anger? Would I try to escape the reality of my situation by looking to the things of the world? I never really considered those options, but when we face a crisis, those are some of the choices we have. Whether it’s a job crisis, or a so-called “mid-life” crisis, how we handle difficult times shows who we are at our core. One of the things that helps me during life’s challenges is to stay calm and not rush into decisions or take actions born out of frustration, sadness or discouragement. If we can be patient, time not only helps heal some of our wounds, it can also help reveal what our next steps should be.
