Who Made a Difference For You?
Who is the one person who has made the biggest difference in your life?
Who is it that, at just the right time, helped you, steered you in the right direction, did for you what you could not do for yourself, and because of them you are a different person?
You might even say you don’t know where you would be today had it not been for them.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thns2MIOQq0[/embedyt]John Wooden and Clarence Walker
In the 1960s & 70s John Wooden became famous for his winning records as a basketball Coach at UCLA. He won 10 National Championships in a 12 year period. But before he coached basketball at UCLA, he was the head coach at Indiana State University. Back then it was called Indiana State Teachers College.
During his time there he decided to do something that hadn’t been done yet in the sport of basketball. At this point, everyone who played basketball in college and even in the NBA all had one thing in common, they were white.
John Wooden understood that change wouldn’t come quickly or easy, but he knew it was time for change. So he recruited a young man by the name of Clarence Walker from East Chicago to come and play for him.
It was a bold move for a young coach, and one that would bring all kinds of challenges their way.
His team went 18-8 that first season and they were invited to the NAIB tournament. Walker wasn’t a starter. He was a reserve and only saw game time occasionally. But when they were invited that year to the NAIB tournament, John Wooden turned down the invitation.
If he accepted the invitation and took his team to the tournament, he would have to leave Clarence Walker home. Black players weren’t allowed to play.
He later wrote… “I was being asked to participate in segregation.” “That’s not what dad taught me.”
It wasn’t until the end of the next season the NAIB tournament had changed their rules and allowed black players to come and to play. Clarence Walker played in 3 post season tournaments and won a National Title in 1950.
You might think this story is about the difference John Wooden made in Clarence Walker’s life. And it is. But it’s also about the difference Clarence Walker no doubt made in John Wooden’s life.
Do Something For Someone Who Could Never Repay You
When you think about who it is in your life that made the biggest difference, you might not have a story like that. But you may think about someone who did something for you and you know, you’ll never be able to repay them.
The reason I want you to think about who that person is for you is because chances are, there is someone who needs you to be that person for them.
In John 13.34-35, Jesus is talking to his disciples. This is hours before he will face the cross. Listen to what Jesus says in this pivotal moment.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
How did Jesus love them?
Right before he said this, he washes their feet, serving them in humility before they have the Passover meal together. And right after this, he goes to the cross where He will sacrifice his life for them, for us, for the world.
How are we to love others? With this same kind of self sacrificing, feet washing, cross carrying kind of love. And when you love another person with that kind of love, it makes an eternal impact.
John Wooden once said, “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”
“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”
John Wooden
Who can you help today? How can you make a difference in someone’s life today? You never know what hangs in the balance of making an eternal investment in the life of another person.
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