It was the answer to his prayers, a dream job as head coach at a local high school where he was also a teacher. Or so he thought.
David Morbitzer had stepped up from offensive line coach in South Carolina into the demanding role of head coach, but first, he had a mess to clean up, and it would not be easy. He struggled to get the other coaches on board and establish his authority. He faced disunity throughout the staff. He struggled with losses. To say it was a tough time in David's life would be an understatement.
"This is what I had prayed for," Morbitzer said. "But my dream job wasn't going well, and I needed to resign. I felt failure all around me and I began to descend into the worst depressive state."
FCA Lowcounty Northeast Area Director Clint Echols walked with Morbitzer through this period in his life. After receiving a call from the local area representative, Randy Burns, Echols prayed, letting him know of Morbitzer's situation. Genuinely heartbroken for his friend, he reached out several times in hopes of connecting but was disappointed when there were no responses to his phone messages or texts. Uncertain of which direction to take, Echols felt the Lord tell him to write Morbitzer a letter, which he did, and left with the staff.
"I just kept claiming Psalm 27:14,” Echols said. “It says: ‘Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (KJV).”
Knowing it must have been difficult to teach in a school where you no longer coach, Echols wanted to encourage Morbitzer in his last four months at the school. So, he continued writing letters, leaving them at the school and waiting.
It was around the sixth week that Morbitzer called Echols. He had just received all the letters from the office; they had been holding onto them. He was so surprised by the gesture; he had spent the last hour reading them and he wanted to talk.
"The notes were big,” Morbitzer said. “I thank God that Clint came into my life when he did and helped me through the transition. I was in the worst depressive state, but I see God in it now. You have to go through the hard stuff. God was concerned for my condition, and He sent Clint and Randy Burns to help me through it.
“I thank God that Clint came into my life when he did and helped me through the transition."
“Getting those little notes when you have had one of the hardest days, those were invaluable. Knowing someone was in my corner helped tremendously."
Echols told his story of brokenness to Morbitzer and explained how he learned to be more dependent and desperate for the Lord. He shared how he had become awakened to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and he encouraged Morbitzer to read Charles Stanley's book, The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life.
Morbitzer began to grow, and he shared with his wife that since he wasn’t going to be coaching in the subsequent three months, he wanted to make the most of it by joining a couple's group at church.
Morbitzer was mentally and spiritually healthy, ready to look for a lower-level coaching position. He was affirmed and humbled when staff from Wando High, the largest school in South Carolina, called and invited him to join them as offensive line coach. It was the perfect spot for Morbitzer, and his excitement over what God was doing grew.
"This was when the E3 relationship started,” Echols said. “We have made it through Engage with Story and Engage with Illustrations and Questions, and we are moving toward the Equip stage. Currently, we are going through the bracelet, and he has begun to use The FOUR as a tool to share with his students. It has been a really great time together growing spiritually.”
Echols says that he sees E3 as a line drawn in the sand. It will turn your career into ministry. It will call you from a lifestyle of complacency into a lifestyle of power and impact and leave a legacy of lives changed by the Gospel. He’s watched that happen with Morbitzer.
"If God is calling you out of neutrality, a place of comfort and average, where it is easy to be you and where you sprinkle a little Jesus onto things and give Him credit after the fact, there's a new place He can call you to which is a place of no return,” Echols said. “That's E3.”
Prayer Requests for David Morbitzer’s FCA at Wando High School in South Carolina:
Pray for continued growth both spiritually and in number for FCA.
Pray for the 360 Coach Huddle to grow.
Pray that hearts are changed and given over to God.
To support staff like Clint Echols in the E3 discipleship process to guide coaches in spiritual growth, visit E3 or visit Lowcounty FCA.
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