2011 has been riddled with tragedy. On January 8th we in Tucson saw 6 people killed outside of a Safeway. This included Christina Taylor-Green and Judge John Roll, two amazing Christian people whose families I've come to know and love.
Then in May 27 I took a shot to the gut. My friend Tyler passed away in a car accident. We'd known each other at varying levels of depth since we were both Juniors in high school, 2003-04, him at Mountain View in Marana, and me at Flowing Wells in Tucson.
In college we grew closer and would hang out more frequently during and after U-Life, or Young Life College. And then in 2008 we were dating twin sisters, I got to know him intimately well. I was one of the first people he talked to before proposing to his girlfriend, and one of the people he asked for advice from on how to ask her father for his blessing. The year before his death we were in Disneyland together, and on the beach in San Diego, sharing a hotel room at both.
Then me and my half of the twin sisters broke up, and it was ugly. Actually 'Reflect and Revise' were the lessons learned in the aftermath of this epicly bad break-up. It got to such a point that me and Tyler severed ties, and the last thing I said to him was this:
"this whole situation is weird and i don't really like the awkwardness, i love you and nicole, your family and her family. I want to get to the bottom of whatever is going on and try and mend some broken friendships if it's possible. If you don't think it is at all possible, just ignore this and we'll go on with our lives." December 23, 2010
He ignored it, and I went on with my life. My bitterness grew after that. Sometime in February he waved from across the room at church when he saw me, and I turned away to continue a conversation. After December 23, 2010 I never texted, facebooked, called, or said one word to Tyler because I valued my pride more than pursuing a friend.
Since May 27, I've pursued friendship with my former girlfriend and her twin sister. I can now say that we are friends. But from now on, I will always remember the last thing Tyler saw from me was turning my head.
The lessons 2011 has taught me are these:
1. Identify yourself in Christ, you are not your relationships, intellect, athleticism, or anything that is temporary and of this world. If your identity is not based in Christ, then you are only buying time with the gifts you've been given for as long as they may last, and we have no guarantees on this life's longevity.
2. While you are blessed with this time, use it to build people up. Never let insignificant bitterness cloud your judgment. The greatest commandment is to Love God and Love Others. Not love others who are really cool, really nice, really funny, easy to get along with. We are made to love others, no exceptions.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Iron
“Goodness gracious sakes alive!” is what any UCLA basketball player in the 60s and 70s would tell you was their most feared sentence. Coach John Wooden believed in three rules in his practice sessions:
1. Be on time
2. No profanity
3. Never criticize a teammate
Coach John Wooden also won 10 NCAA championships and still holds the longest winning streak in NCAA basketball of 88 straight games. He did this not with scouting out other teams or constantly strategizing for each game, he did this by perfecting his own team to execute their job and position with seamless action.
In his rules we find a dedication to fostering mutual respect among all of his players. Everyone on time, no one swears, and only the coaching staff gave criticism to build the team.
The Bible says “iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” in Proverbs 27:17.
There was a small group in the 20th century called The Inklings. It consisted of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield. They would meet in one of Lewis’ rooms at Magdalen College on Thursday or at a local pub on Friday. In this setting the men would read excerpts from their writings, such as The Hobbit and Screwtape Letters of Tolkien and Lewis, respectively. Then the other members would engage in “the cut and parry of prolonged, fierce, masculine argument” to use the words of C.S. Lewis.
The great works of this group owe a large debt to the sharpening remarks of the other members in the group. To the extent that now all are familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings series’ around the world.
When you are part of a team, you are part of something greater than yourself. We must enter into the team without selfish desire for success as an individual, but only when you enter with the desire to bring success to the team as a whole will all the individuals find success.
1. Be on time
2. No profanity
3. Never criticize a teammate
Coach John Wooden also won 10 NCAA championships and still holds the longest winning streak in NCAA basketball of 88 straight games. He did this not with scouting out other teams or constantly strategizing for each game, he did this by perfecting his own team to execute their job and position with seamless action.
In his rules we find a dedication to fostering mutual respect among all of his players. Everyone on time, no one swears, and only the coaching staff gave criticism to build the team.
The Bible says “iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” in Proverbs 27:17.
There was a small group in the 20th century called The Inklings. It consisted of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield. They would meet in one of Lewis’ rooms at Magdalen College on Thursday or at a local pub on Friday. In this setting the men would read excerpts from their writings, such as The Hobbit and Screwtape Letters of Tolkien and Lewis, respectively. Then the other members would engage in “the cut and parry of prolonged, fierce, masculine argument” to use the words of C.S. Lewis.
The great works of this group owe a large debt to the sharpening remarks of the other members in the group. To the extent that now all are familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings series’ around the world.
When you are part of a team, you are part of something greater than yourself. We must enter into the team without selfish desire for success as an individual, but only when you enter with the desire to bring success to the team as a whole will all the individuals find success.
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