Ashley's "Coach Wil" Story

I love this story, shared by Ashley Ingram. The stories keep coming, and I thank you all so much. Please continue to send them to me. I'm  having a good time building that memory book!

ASHLEY CARTRITE INGRAM

I am a 2001 graduate of Randall High School. I knew Coach Wil as just that, coach. But my coaching interaction came when I was younger at summer basketball camps and such. By the time I was in high school my athletic ability didn't rise above some other strengths so I parted ways with basketball sometime after my freshman year. Coach Wil continued to treat me with such kindness and attention. His presence is one of the most reassuring I've known. He always spoke to me, showed genuine interest in my life and would say, "Cartrite, you've always been one of my favorites," which I'm sure was his tag line for everyone, but he said it with such love, I always believed him. Coach Wil is a man that I've always had the utmost respect for.

As life has gone on, I've gotten married and began a family. For eight years my husband had been on staff at Hillside Christian Church. A highlight of my Sunday's would be when I would run into Coach Wil. He still treated me with such kindness and attention. Almost three years ago, my family moved to Lubbock to begin a Hillside campus in our college city. Since moving, my husband joined the teaching team at Hillside. Often after Brad would preach, I would see Coach Wil and he would be so encouraging of Brad's gifts and tell me what a great job he did. I knew it must be odd to sit in a room while your former students' husbands preached, and I've wondered how that felt for people like Coach Wil, but he continued to make me feel important and forward-focused by the kind, genuine words he would speak. He may have called us something like "guppies" a time or two, but that's neither here nor there. :)  

Brad now returns to Amarillo regularly to preach. The most recent time he preached, I sat in the 9:30 service looking around. It's funny how much can change in three short years (not to mention three months or even three minutes). I didn't recognize a single face in that full room. Then, I saw Coach Wil. He sat across the room from me, by himself. Once again, his presence was so reassuring. To recognize one face, that of a man I completely admire and respect, was a gift of grace to me that day. 

When I read your blog posts, I took note of the dates. I realize now that Coach Wil was in the middle of his sickest days ... and he was still at church.  I was speechless.  I would love to know the sermon Coach Wil would preach to us, the guppies. 

That day he reminded me that when you find hope in something beyond yourself, you can't help but find refuge in the place where God is proclaimed. Especially in life's hardest moments. We all sit on the brink of meeting God soon. Coach Wil just has a better sure measuring stick of his time than most of us. So to a man who spoke life to me so many times, may you find peace in knowing life is just about to begin. 

We are all made for an eternal home. This earth life goes fast. You've done it well. I wish I would have walked across the room to find you a few weeks ago and tell you, "Coach Wil, you've always been one of my favorites!" And I mean it.

My sincerest love, respect and prayers.