Sometimes looking back brings the most clarity. That is where I’m sharing from now, the point of praise and reflection. Growing up in a Christian home, I always knew the importance of being kind and loving. It was modeled for me in big and small ways. Each as important when I think on Jesus’ words,

 

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward." — Matthew 10:42

 

In my childhood home, we welcomed an orphan boy from the mission field, a friend who had lost her mother, and my great-grandfather. Each one staying months to years at time. These were years spent learning how to love and care for others. I saw the good times and experienced the hardships and challenges. Opening your home is one thing, but opening your heart is another. Life is busy, and many of our lives are full. I thought my life and schedule was full when God led me to coach basketball at my small alma mater. 

 

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18

 

At the age of 29, I had a hysterectomy. I had come to peace with not having more children even though I had wanted more. I was very blessed to have three beautiful children on this earth and a stillborn daughter in heaven. It was during my rest and recovery that the Lord spoke to my heart, "I have more kids for you." I knew in that moment He meant more kids for me to love and not to birth, because that ship had sailed. At the time I was offered the 5th grade girls’ basketball coaching job, I was working from home running a small business. My husband worked 24 hour shifts and was gone every 3rd day as a firefighter. It was a leap of faith, but I will be forever thankful for the Lord’s guidance and prompt!  

I coached eight different seasons of elementary and junior high girls’ basketball teams in four years. I loved every minute and player. Those were the years when I got to help lace up their shoes and pull back their hair into ponytails. Then they grew up, and I moved with them to High School as the varsity coach. Presently, I am still coaching at this level now going into my 10th year. Coaching is a very challenging position to balance the fruits of the Spirit! Unfortunately, my self-control and patience have not always been what they should be. Nevertheless, God’s plan prevailed. He brought into my path a very unforgettable young lady. We met in the gym when she was probably 10. She loved basketball and was a firecracker on the court. Extremely headstrong and very aggressive after the ball. Everyone has a story, and hers is not mine to tell. But she wrote me this letter, and with her permission, here are her words: 

 

"At 16, I found myself at the lowest point in my life. My world had crumbled in ways I couldn’t even fully comprehend. The death of my mother had left a hole in my heart that seemed impossible to fill. Losing her was the first domino to fall. In the months that followed, everything spiraled out of control.

I got kicked out of school, ended up in jail, and eventually, my dad kicked me out of the house. With nowhere else to go, I ended up at my biological mother’s house. It felt like things couldn’t get worse, but they did. I was lost, angry, and hopeless. I had no direction and no one to turn to. That’s when Coach Kleine became the unexpected light in my darkness.

After everything, I finally confessed to Coach's daughter the weight of the chaos in my life. I poured out my heart and explained just how bad things had become. It was a vulnerable moment for me, one where I thought I would just be judged or pitied. But instead, Coach’s daughter and my former teammate just listened. She didn’t look at me with sympathy or discomfort. She just listened, and that was exactly what I needed.

Within a week or two after our conversation, Coach Kleine reached out to me. She didn’t waste time. She didn’t just say she was sorry for me or tell me things would get better. Instead, she showed up, bringing me my school materials and clothes I needed. But she didn’t stop there. The more she saw my situation, the more she realized how dire things were. She didn’t just offer me a handout; she made a decision that would change my life forever. She told me I wouldn’t stay in that dangerous place. She and her family would take me in.

I remember feeling a mix of disbelief and gratitude. No one had ever cared enough to step up like that before. I was used to being let down, and now here was a woman who was offering me more than just support. She was offering me a home. A chance. A future. So, just a few days later, I moved in with Coach and her family. Living with them was a lifeline.

For the first time in a long time, I had structure, safety, and love. I started going back to school. I began running track again and was able to get back into basketball, something I had always loved but had abandoned during my downward spiral. It wasn’t just about sports; it was about regaining control over my life. It was about finding purpose, something I had lost in the chaos. I felt myself slowly coming back to life.

This year was transformative. It was my senior year, and not only did I return to basketball, but I also made history in the sport. I went from a kid who was on the brink of losing everything to someone who was breaking records and making people proud. I have Coach, the person who never gave up on me, to thank for that. She didn’t just save me physically, she saved me emotionally, mentally, and gave me a chance to dream again.

Today, I’m alive. I’m working. I have something to be proud of. I have a future. And I owe it all to a Coach who saw beyond my mistakes, beyond my brokenness, and gave me the support I needed when I had nothing left. If it weren’t for Coach and her family, I don’t know where I would be, probably in a worse situation or dead. Thanks to her and her family, I have a second chance to make something of myself. They didn’t just save my life; they gave me hope for the future. I mean this from the bottom of my heart."

She gave me that letter the day she graduated. This talented and brave child has lived with us for over a year and a half now. To say things have always been easy for us or for her, we would both agree is not true. But when God asks us to love unconditionally, to find His joy and peace in the chaos, to endure longsuffering, to offer kindness, to be His goodness, be found faithful and gentle; and offer all these things including self-control, He has a reason. A Good Reason, Plan, and Purpose.  

 

“'For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” — Jeremiah 29:11

 

I am far from perfect at these things, and it is very humbling that in my weakness, Christ’s strengths become most evident. I know who I am: stressed, busy, distracted, impatient, hurt, offended, exhausted. I also know who Jesus Christ is. He is the perfect substitute. He was on the cross when He died for our sins, and He is for me today. When I don’t measure up to the task or the defensive attack, I want to sub Christ in for me as much as possible! 

 

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Giving Jesus your heart and letting Him lead your life can be scary. But it’s also the most beautiful adventure, one filled with unexpected blessings, deep relationships, and the fruit of the Spirit growing in ways you never imagined. 

 

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

 

 

Author: Rachel Kleine

 

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Redefined exists to serve survivors of domestic sex trafficking and other at-risk women and girls by equipping them with life skills, meaningful employment, and ongoing support. Learn more about our mission at Hope Center Indy by visiting our website: hopecenterindy.org.

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