A Voice that Echoes Across Generations

Charismatic. Champion. Coach. Friend. Such words can be said of a man whose physical life ended on April 28, 1993. Each year, ESPN sets aside a week to honor the memory of Jim Valvano, featuring a replay of his speech at the ESPY awards and marquee college basketball games, while raising money and awareness of the foundation that features his name, the Jimmy V Foundation that is leading the fight against cancer. This week, each year, we hear words that echo to today though spoken over twenty-five years ago.

What speaks to me each year is the fact that Jimmy V left the world at an early age. There he stood on that stage, speaking to an audience who sat with the same mindset we hold most days - a belief that they had plenty of time. He stood before an audience that held on to every word he spoke and he encouraged them to never give up. He was helped down the stairs by two friends, Dick Vitale and Coach K. So much was wrapped into a few moments in time, but the lessons from that night are still as true today.

1 - Life is brief - we often have that belief that we have so much longer to live. We are sure that we will see our children grow up, that we will know our grandchildren, that we will retire, and will live to an age that denotes longevity. But what if we don't? What if tomorrow is not a day we will see on this earth? The Bible tells us, "Lord, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how transitory I am." (Psalm 39:4 HCSB) As Jimmy V spoke that night, he knew that there was a chance he would die soon. Therefore, every moment became more valuable, every word more impactful, and every memory made more cherished. Live today with an eye on eternity. See this moment as a blessing and a every opportunity as special. Jimmy V struggled to get to the ESPY awards that night, but the world was better off because he went. Don't waste opportunities believing that other chances will come along. They might not.

2 - Make friends - Seeing Jimmy V being helped down the stairs by Coach K was incredible. The two had been heated rivals but there near the end, they had become friends. Have friends in life. I recently saw a video where Coach K was reflecting on his friendship with Jimmy V over two decades later, revealing the impact of such a connection that they shared. Friends aren't optional in life. They are a necessity. The very presence of a friend can help us to persevere when we are tired or frustrated, they provide laughter and share in our grief, and most importantly, they get us. They understand what makes us tick and we understand the same about them. What once was a rival was now by his side when he drew his last breath, showing the world the value of a friend's presence in our lives. Jesus even used the friendship relationship to speak about love in John 15:13, when He said, "No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends." Find the ones who will lay aside themselves for you and the ones that you would give up all of your life for them.

3 - Remember the message - His words were to never give up. As he stood there fighting cancer, he also stood as an inspiration because he was living the message he was proclaiming. Don't give up. Keep pushing regardless of the odds you are facing. See how your resiliency in your life might be what inspires someone else to be resilient in their lives. Paul wrote, "Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroy, our inner person is being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16 HCSB). Be an inspiration through your determination. In a world of quitters, people are desperate to find others who will push through and keep going no matter what they face.

Following such life lessons will ensure that you will live a life that echoes beyond your time here on earth. You will make the most of your time, love those around you more deeply, and reach heights that are higher than you can imagine simply remembering three B's - brevity (of life), blessing (of friends), and boldness (not quitting).

What Was Missing

Every year is filled with highs and lows. Though, as a pastor and Christian writer, most expect me to put a positive spin on everything, to look at everything as positive in some way, I am honest. There are seasons and spans of times where even I am simply trying to stay alive and draw that next breath. Life can be overwhelming. The statement doesn't reveal some hidden lack of faith, but rather is an honest assessment of what we all face on a daily basis. Some seasons are filled with joy after joy. Other seasons, pain and frustrations leave their marks, a stabbing of the soul that only time and a renewed vision can heal.

Thanksgiving has just passed. Though the week is most definitely one of the busiest of the year, it is nonetheless one of the most fulfilling. Thanksgiving services bring about a focus on what we have been blessed with, the simple joys and blessings that we often overlook. There are times for family and friends. We make a point to verbalize what we are thankful for, the blessings that mean so much to us. And in that, we reconnect with what is missing throughout the rest of the year.

Psalm 100 is a well-known psalm that is preached at Thanksgiving. In the psalm, we see what it looks like to be truly thankful. Evidence of gratitude is found in our shouts of triumph, in our service to God, and in our acknowledgment of who He is and what He has done. In Psalm 100:4, we read, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name." (Psalm 100:4 HCSB).

There is no single day mentioned in the passage. Never does the writer of the psalm say that we should be thankful only on Sundays or just at Thanksgiving, but rather, always enter with thanksgiving. In that attitude, we find what was missing because we were created to praise, we are expected to be thankful for what God has done, and we find that we are fulfilled as we think about all the blessings of our lives.

What are you thankful for today? What is it today that you want to stop and express gratitude for realizing that though it is here today, it could be gone tomorrow? The world has plenty enough complaining taking place. What will make the world take note is to begin to hear Christians praising every day, not just on good days, not just at holidays, but every day and in all situations. When we begin our day with thanksgiving to God, we are starting the day off on the right foot. He didn't have to give us today. This day is a gift. The very life we have been given is a gift straight from our Creator.

Think about this. If you know Jesus, you have eternity to be thankful for today and every day. As Lamentations 3:22-24 teaches us that the Lord's mercies are new every day, therefore we can be thankful for mercy today! Look at your family and be thankful. Take note of your friends and express the appreciation they may need to hear today. For the roof over your head, the food on your table, the shoes on your feet, and the air that you breathe, take a moment to thank God. Those who are thankful are those who are the most fulfilled in their lives because rather than focusing on what they do not have, they take note of all they do have.

What is often missing in our lives is not a possession that will bring fulfillment, but rather an attitude of gratitude that reminds us of all we have and the reminder brings an overwhelming sense of fulfillment. Don't let thankfulness end with Thanksgiving Day. Carry it on every day and see how it changes the course of your life!