“ I was so influenced by Miss Nancy ’ s passion and her mission-possible life that right after I won the Heisman , I went back to play Goliath in one of the shows .”
dislike of choir and singing didn ’ t change . If I could sing , I would have loved it , but I sucked . It was my admiration for Miss Nancy and her team that made me want to do more than just stand there and mouth some lyrics . My teacher created an environment that grew musical gifts and drew out the best in her students . It ’ s what I saw her do with excellence , and it ’ s what made me consider her one of my favorites .
Unlike some teachers , Miss Nancy didn ’ t look at me as a one-sided jock or give me a hard time when I had to miss a rehearsal because I had a game . To me that was a huge deal . I can ’ t tell you how many times teachers and even leaders at church would make clear their disdain because I ’ d miss or be late to a service or an event due to a game . Not Miss Nancy . Sometimes she ’ d even let me get a rehearsal in before a game or practice . And she always asked how it went . That ’ s genuine care right there , and it ’ s something I ’ ll never forget . I may not have shown a shred of theatrical stardom , but I truly enjoyed the plays she put on twice a year — so much so that when I got older , I invited the teammates on my travel team to see the productions . A few of them even made the decision to trust in Jesus because of these events ! This never would have happened if it weren ’ t for Miss Nancy .
I was so influenced by Miss Nancy ’ s passion and her mission-possible life that right after I won the Heisman , I went back to play Goliath in one of the shows . That ’ s how much I respected and appreciated my teacher . And if she asked me to sing for her today , I ’ d grab a mic and belt out whatever she wanted , no doubt .
There are great teachers who bless our lives like Miss Nancy , who say or do things you ’ ll never forget . But it ’ s not just teachers who do this . It ’ s the moms and dads who hug their kids close and cry with them when Mufasa dies in The Lion King . It ’ s the man or woman who remembers the name of the barista who serves them every morning . It ’ s the coach who cares more about character than scores . Wherever we are , in whatever we are doing , we can always do something to transcend what can start out as seemingly insignificant .
As I look back at the life of Jesus , I realize something : He lived fully with purpose in every moment . This was true when He spoke to a crowd of thousands , when He breathed life into a stranger in an act of social suicide , when He swapped jokes with little kids , and when He broke bread with His besties . In all these things , Jesus was pleasing His father ( see John 8:29 ). Why ? Because He lived each day present and aware and fueled by intentional action . Wherever He went , His purpose didn ’ t stop , even when He ’ d spend time in solitude to pray . He offered forgiveness to the shamed . He fed those who were hungry . He paid attention to those who had been forgotten or ignored . He loved the last , the least , and the lost . Those are all actions we can imitate no matter how many followers we have .
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