I met a man who would have a profound impact on my life in 1992. His name was Coach Larry, I first encountered Coach at a Texaco service station. It started with a question, he said “Are you from around here? ” When I first met “Coach” I never thought he would become a lifetime mentor and good friend to me. Little did I know the impact this man would have on my passage into the man I am TODAY. Coach had a very unique way of teaching, he did by telling me stories.With each story, coach Larry would always impart a life lesson. He’d used the story about his trip to San Antonio to teach me about doing whatever it takes to accomplish a goal in life. His experience in Los Angeles conveyed to me the importance of tolerance, respect, and compassion for people who are different from you and that a real man will stand up for the oppressed and downtrodden.He would always ask me about what was going on in my life. He’d listen intently and provide some counsel and words of encouragement or sometimes a verbal kick in the butt if I needed it. After each visit with him, I felt uplifted and edified. From Coach, I learned the importance of being an honorable man. I learned that success in life requires tenacity and enthusiasm. I learned that the strong should look out for the weak. And I learned the value of respect towards all men, no matter their race, creed, or social background. Most importantly I learned a life without God in the center is a LIFE lost.
Unfortunately, it seems like a generation of men have existed without mentors growing up. We hear on the news about absent fathers and the effect it is having on young men today. Even when a man has a father he can look up to. Men find themselves more and more isolated, the enemy (Satan) has placed a dark veil over what it is to be a man of God. There are some lessons and bits of wisdom that only a man can impart to another man. Men and women are different. We view and interact with the world differently. So it makes sense for men to seek out other men for guidance on how to navigate life. In addition to providing some guidance in navigating through life as a man, Godly mentors can expand one’s view of what it means to be a man of God. Every man has had different life experiences and been exposed to different philosophies and worldviews. A Godly man can help you see things a different way, inspire you to dare greatly, comfort you when you grieve, and help you become a better man. Life will take you through a process, Coach always said “Fall in Love with the process no matter what”. The KEY is to know your OUTCOME in Life, He said God never starts anything until he finishes it, it would be wise for us to the same. In the twenty plus years this man (Angel) was in my life I was groomed to be a Friend to all, a man of integrity and excellence and now a Coach to Thousands around the globe. But my friend and mentor became sick. He was diagnosed with cancer, It has been hard to see this man who was once filled with mischief and vitality become weak This amazing man of God went to be with the Lord this morning wide open skies have provided enough room for a Spirit as Big as Coach Larry to roam.
