Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday July 14, 2010

Joyce finished reviewing a book for our monthly paper, "Larry Lilly's Journal" at my specific request. The book is full of simple, yet powerfully moving accounts of a man who rose to worldwide fame and the defining mark of his legacy is a humility rarely found among the elites in any field including mine. He wrote in Day 12, "Gutsy Gals" concerning his mother:

"Mother was an accomplished seamstress and did a lot of that kind of thing for others around town. She made most of her clothes- very few store bought items hung in her closet. She made me my first basketball out of rags stuffed into old black cotton hose. As I think back, I swear I remember dribbling that thing. That is impossible, but I like to think I could have."

Coach John Wooden continues his story about his mother's pain when losing her two daughters, Cordelia at age three with diphtheria and another so soon after birth that no name had been chosen.

His book, "Coach Wooden One on One," written seven years prior to his own death at 99, is one every person should read. Coach hardly mentions the ten National Championships his UCLA team won, or the fact that they won seven in a row. He writes about his Dad, his Mother, brothers and the hard life while young. He suffered the loss of his home to foreclosure while serving in WWII, yet any trace of bitterness cannot be found.

We live in the day of fractured, dysfunctional families, where it is not rare to read of a father killing his children, children killing a parent and the blame game back and forth between parents and children is the order of the day. Sibling hatred rivals that of Cain for Abel.

I noticed a tone of thankfulness when Coach told of his first basketball, the object that was to be the subject of his fame. From his mother's simple act of making a rag basketball, the world became a much better place for thousands of people. Most kids today would be mortified if they played with a basketball made of rags. There would most likely be a federal investigation and cruelty charges filed against the family and county where such a soul crushing thing could happen.

Proverbs 31:28-29 "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."

Coach said of his Mother, "Proverbs 31 is about an excellent wife. All of the attributes mentioned in that passage apply to my mom." I have to recall Ephesians 6:2-3: Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Ninety Nine is a rather long journey and it was well with this Mid-Western giant.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2010 Use with credit.

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