Sunday, December 31, 2017

Frosty...But Not The Snowman



We made it through Christmas and New Years is just hours away! One thing I love about the holidays is Christmas music and one song you hear repeatedly is Frosty The Snowman, an all-time classic. Well, this is about Frosty, but not that one. The guy at the top of the page is Frosty Westering, the best football coach most folks have never heard of. Westering coached at Pacific Lutheran in California for thirty-two years, four times winning national titles and four times finishing as runner up on the smaller levels of college football. His coaching methods were unorthodox but successful, turning players into champions but more importantly, making men out of boys. (To read a fascinating recap of his coaching life penned upon his death, click or copy/paste the link below.
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/44702352/)

My first awareness of Frosty Westering came like many things in my life from Don Meyer, a basketball coach equally revered by those who know the game. Over the course of fifteen summers, I would work at Don's legendary summer basketball camps at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Meyer, a voracious reader, recommended a book authored by Westering entitled Make The Big Time Where You Are. Of course, I ordered it as soon as I returned from camp. The lady in the bookstore at Pacific Lutheran knew exactly why I was on the line- she said the only reason she'd get out-of-state calls was from coaches like me ordering Big Time. When it came, I devoured it. The book wasn't very long and it was a motivational read, with lots of practical advice that young coaches would find beneficial. I loaned my copy to an unnamed coach who forgot to return it but I was blessed by reading it. Better that someone ends up with a book than it just ends up gathering dust.


I  can't say I recall many specifics about this piece of literature. If you want a synopsis, read the quote of the day. What I do remember is the solid wisdom that we can be content and productive wherever we are. Life doesn't end up like we imagine. I knew coming out of high school I would play for the Boston Celtics- one day of college practice convinced me otherwise. My backup plan was to get my PhD  and be the head of the UCLA history department by my mid thirties. One year of teaching middle and high school kids showed me that was my calling. We all, or maybe most of us, grow up wanting to be famous but that rarely happens. If everybody is famous, is anyone really famous? But one thing that has stayed with me from Frosty Westering is that doing your best/being your best/making a difference in the lives of others is not tied into the location of our service. I tell  my students that I think it's fascinating that Jesus used Capernaum as His base of operations and John the Baptist preached out in the wilderness. To my way of thinking, the logical choice for both would have been Jerusalem but my way of thinking isn't the Lord's. Interesting that both Frosty Westering and Don Meyer carved out spheres of influence far from the glare of Sports Illustrated and ESPN. They changed lives and changed a generation of coaches while never seeking the spotlight their gifts deserved. As we tip toe into 2018, I see postings of resolutions with goals of new jobs or circumstances or locations. Those are admirable but maybe we're already where we need to be. Maybe God has big plans for us right where we are. Contentment in our environment can lead to transformed lives for those we seek to influence as well as ourselves. And the big time is within the grasp of each of us. 

Applicable quote of the day:
The big time is not a place; it's the state of your heart. It's not something you get; it's something you become.
Frosty Westering

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com

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