God's Coaching #45

God's Coaching #45

John Wooden is remembered as one of the best college basketball coaches of all time. But his family remembers him for something else. For years, John wrote a special letter once a month. He tied it with a ribbon and placed it on a stack. He had nowhere to send these letters because they were to his wife, Nell, who had died in 1985. Coach, as everyone called him, said he missed telling her things. The letters were an expression of the undying love they had shared while Nell was alive.

John was a basketball icon, mostly for his coaching success at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His record there was 627 wins and only 147 losses. He led UCLA to 10 NCAA championships in 12 years during the 1960s and ’70s. But John was also a hero and an inspiration off the court. He loved God deeply, and he taught his players integrity and values as well as ball-handling skills. He passed along his famous Pyramid of Success, which was built on virtues such as skill, enthusiasm, industriousness, patience, and faith.

John’s favorite Bible passage was 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the love chapter. “Faith, hope, and love” guided his relationships with his wife and with his players. When John died in 2010 at the age of 99, everyone knew he was excited to be reunited with his true loves in heaven: Jesus and his wife, Nell.

What’s the Score?

John’s unending love for his wife proved that “love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7). It’s sad, but love doesn’t always last in our world. Too many marriages and relationships break apart too often.

John and Nell’s love was a great example of committed love. It’s also a beautiful reflection of God’s love for us. The Woodens didn’t let anything tear apart their love. God won’t let anything change his love for us. He wants that nonstop, unconditional love of his to flow through us to other people, too. Marriage is still off in the future for you, but you’re never too young to commit to receiving and sharing God’s perfect love.

On the Ball

Write a letter to a parent, a brother or sister, or a longtime good friend. Let that person know you love him or her and appreciate who he or she is in your life.

Coach’s Comment

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:7