Less of Me, More of We. Part 2

I wrote this in 2014, in honor of an incredible force in my life. May Coach Gilmore's legacy be a blessing to us all.

The news came, appropriately delivered by a beloved former teammate, fellow understudy turned coworker. A fellow young man, probably similarly adrift as a juvenile, yet inspired, invigorated, and heavily influenced by coaches and teachers who cared enough to transcend titles. So great was their influence, that we now share the same mission that once so radically impacted the teenage versions of ourselves.

If you missed my last post on Coach Gilmore, see here. My former teacher, coach, coworker, mentor, and friend succumbed to cancer this morning. I wrote a a substantial amount on Coach Gilmore’s influence on me and countless others, but his legacy more than merits revisiting. Certainly, I can’t even do it justice in regards to my own life, let alone the numerous others similarly impacted.

Without hesitance, I can say a Christian High School quite effectively changed my life. Gifted, servant-hearted, talented mentors gave their whole lives to me and my classmates. Chris Schultz, Scott Falk, and Coach Gilmore opened their hearts, their homes, and their lives, living in inspiring authenticity on a daily basis, choosing to love moody, immature, entitled, sometimes defiant teenagers. We didn’t deserve their love. We didn’t deserve their extra time. We certainly didn’t deserve for them to give their whole lives to us.

It was in this place the seed of calling, which would blossom into my profession, originated.  I was profoundly affected by men who took lesser pay, sacrificed beloved time with their family, bought us meals, and chose to give of their whole selves in order to see us changed for the better.

Later, I was lucky enough to serve alongside all 3 of these men, to call them coworkers, mentors. We shared staff meetings, chapels, practices, school athletic events, car rides, and a shared mission. They showed me the side of leadership and service unknown to the often unappreciative teenagers we served, with unfailing commitment and sacrifice. I learned patience and grace, even when students didn’t deserve it. I learned more than could ever be formulated, articulated, written or expressed. I learned the other side of the depth of their commitment to us, that it meant sacrificing so much of what this world holds dear, but that the fulfillment, joy, and purpose found in that sacrifice makes it an abundant journey.

And the appropriateness of Coach Gilmore’s favorite phrase, “Less of me, more of we” rings triumphantly, first in his rhetoric, but more persuasively in a life well lived. A life of giving beyond ordinary measures, of inspiration which knew few boundaries, of legacy which has only begun. A life of complete service, at the expense of self. A life defined by self discipline, and the pursuit of an end goal without compromise. A life transcending borders, be they governmental, cultural, or educational. A life of complete and total commitment to seeing others pointed to a larger meaning. A life centered on the idea of health for the whole individual, be it physical, emotional, or spiritual. A life of endless positivity, contagious energy. A life of exuberance, testified to by thousands of former students, coworkers, athletes, and friends. A life of impact which definitely echoes beyond measure. A life well lived, and assuredly concluded with the incomparably sweet, perfectly apt, comforting words,”Well done, good and faithful servant.”