For those not familiar with the world of college basketball, let me first explain Jimmy V Week. While Jimmy Valvano was the head coach at he won the 1983 NCAA Championship against high odds. Valvano is remembered for running up and down the court after winning the 1983 NCAA championship, seemingly in disbelief and looking for someone to hug. He is also remembered for his 1993 ESPY Awards speech, given shortly before he died of cancer. Jim Valvano or “Jimmy V,” now has a week of basketball named after him as he is honored each year.
As a huge basketball fan, an ex-basketball player, and the son of a basketball coach, I have always been around basketball and enjoyed watching it. As I watched ESPN this week, they played back the speech Jimmy V gave at the ESPY Awards (yearly sports awards given by ESPN). I listened as a man dying of cancer still had the passion for life even though he was sick. I am not sure about his relationship with God; however I am sure that he challenged those, Christian or not, to live life as though today was your last.
Part of Jimmy V's speech says “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week; you're going to have something special.”
My grandmother said that laughing each day was like an apple, and it would keep you healthy and happy. Wise men tell me to take time daily to think about the blessings you have, and Scripture tells me to think about the things above. Last, I have tons of things to show emotion about. Laugh, think, and have your emotions moved to tears. ESPN Jimmy V Week
Jimmy V. challenged us to live life with passion. I think that the Apostle Paul did too. Philippians 1: 21 says, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (ESV). In other words to live is to live for the glory of Christ and to die is our gain because we as Christians get to spend eternity in heaven with the Creator of the universe. If we are to live we should live with the passion and focus that Paul had and that Christ had. That being a passion to spread the truth about Christ whatever the cost might be. No matter how difficult or hard it might get, no matter how sick or poor we get, no matter how much we might have to sacrifice we keep living for Christ...
As Jimmy V would say, "don't give up, don't ever give up."
(Matt Whitson)
