Mike and I had the privilege of hearin
g the legendary Coach Bobby Bowden speak at an event made possible by Fellowship Chapel in Bristol, Virginia, and other sponsors. The event was held at Virginia High School gymnasium.
Coach Bowden along with Christy Nockels (and her worship band) filled the gymnasium with beautiful music and a testimony from a football coach that has led his Florida State team to two national championships, 12 ACC Championships, two ACC Atlantic division championships, just to name a few of his accomplishments.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. But Coach Bowden was not there to brag about his football accomplishments, he was there to share his faith and his Christian testimony.
Coach Bowden is 85 years old, he has lived a lot of life, and his story was heartfelt and life changing. Some people may want to criticize his message, but you know what, it’s his story. Truth told by a man that has lived his faith for many years.
Wellness, as I have mentioned in the past is about more than just the physical dimension of a person. It’s unfortunate that a lot of people have the idea that wellness is just about tangible aspects of our body. The spiritual, emotional, and social aspects need nourishing even more so. At 85 years of age, Coach Bowden did not let his physical age get in the way of the message and the legacy that he wants to remain long after his physical body is gone. He also spoke at Fellowship on Sunday morning with several local football teams and cheerleading squads present.
Coach Bowden left a very strong impression on my husband 40 years ago, and to this day Mike still talks about his interaction with Coach Bowden. He came to Mike’s home in Welch, West Virginia, to recruit Mike to play football for West Virginia (when he was head coach there). As Mike puts it, he was a gracious man of good character, just something special about him, he cared about more than football. Mike chose to play at Virginia Tech instead, but Bowden made the decision very difficult.
If you are all wrapped up in your own world, take a moment to look around you and see who may need some guidance from you and words of wisdom to help them navigate through this life. If you feel like you are too old to make a difference in someone’s life, you are wrong! We can help others from relating to them our own life experiences. Trials are a learning experience to be shared with others as well as the blessings in life.
What will your legacy be? What do you want others to remember about you after you are gone? Think about it and start working on all your dimensions of wellness.
See you in the gym.
