Word of Encouragement

With the news last Friday that my mother-in-law (unofficially known as the “World’s Best Mother-In-Law”) was diagnosed with COVID, this insidious virus has officially hit close to home for me.

The good news is that there was no need for hospitalization and she is, thankfully, on the road to recovery. But one of the interesting things about this is that collectively, as a family, we were reminded we can’t really take our time on this earth—or our time together for that matter—for granted.

So when a friend sent me this video of Jim Valavano’s speech when he was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award, it caught my attention. For those who are not aware, Jim Valvano was the Coach of North Carolina State’s basketball team that won the NCAA Basketball Championship in 1983.

What made this speech so memorable was that when he delivered it at the 1993 ESPY Awards, he was terminally ill with cancer. In his speech he told the audience that there were three things we should do every day: Laugh, Think, and Cry. And after sharing why this was so important, he uttered the most memorable words from the speech: "Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up." 

He passed away two months later from adenocarcinoma, a type of glandular cancer. I encourage you to check out this video clip that has highlights from his talk, because he shares his story that will help you laugh, think, and cry.

On a personal note, re-watching his speech reminded me of my own experience back in 2002, when a doctor thought it would be a pretty cool idea to open up my chest in order to remove a tumor. I thought it would be good to follow his advice, but truthfully, my head was spinning. The doctor said it would be good to move very, very quickly—frightening words.

So, the evening before the surgery, as I was playing catch with my son, I got a Divine reminder that all those things that I thought were “important” or “big deals” were actually not that important in the grand scheme of things.

I know that some—perhaps many of you—have your own COVID story. It may be a personal or professional challenge that appears daunting, or concerns for your family, friends or loved ones. If that’s the case, then I’d like “Don’t give up!” to be a source of encouragement for you, your family and friends. And if you’re looking for the motivation to not give up, may the apostle Paul’s words to Timothy help fuel your emotional gas tanks: “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So here’s to a future where we can chose to Laugh, Think and Cry every day!