The Ultimate Measure Of A Man

Only though difficulties and despair, trials and tribulations, does a stone of hope appear. Live your life like Dr. King would have – in freedom to make choices – rooted in grace, love, and hope. #DailyMight

I’ll never forget the day I got to stand at 1964 Independence Ave SW in Washington DC. It was a normal day to everyone else, except for the few of us who were gathered at the feet of the memorial of Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time. I wasn’t young at the time, in my twenties, but I was still at a time in my life where I was searching for direction. That direction led me to Washington DC on a trip with friends. It was life changing.

There are a few characteristics of the memorial that are very important to the visitor and represent several factors of MLK Jr’s life that has become synonymous with one of the greatest leaders of hope and love mankind has ever seen. The centerpiece of the memorial is a nearly 30-foot tall statue of Dr. King carved out of what is known as the Stone of Hope (and that is after entering through two giant boulders know as a the Mountains of Despair). The travel pattern of the memorial is directly pulled from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and represents the struggles the man endured ending with hope and love. It has become a pillar of how I lead my life and teach my athletes. Only though difficulties and despair, trials and tribulations, does a stone of hope appear.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most prominent leaders in the 1960’s and became an iconic figure through his incredible speeches and his use of nonviolent resistance. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday and is observed on the third Monday of January each year in the US. What I admire most about Dr. King is his courage to do something about what he was called to defend through what I can imagine was believed to be unsurmountable odds. But he moved forward with his message of justice, democracy, hope, and love.

Surrounding the memorial there are 14 quotes from King’s speeches, sermons, and writings. I’ve always been drawn to one specifically – his recount of the ultimate measure of a man I quoted above. In the writings, Dr. King alludes to the fact that a person’s true moral fiber only becomes known in times of deep struggle and challenge – not in times of peace and ease. I can’t fathom the struggles that Dr. King faced during his life. I’m not minimizing what he stood for and endured by likening to my own life or a group of athletes. But I can attest to his hope and love initiatives to fulfilling my own life’s callings and the mentorship of the athletes in which I coach.

It has been over a decade since I visited the Memorial in DC. I will never forget the emotions and unrelenting feelings of hope that I have continued to carry with me. I’ve since found a direction for my life in my ministry of youth sports. I live my own life like Dr. King would have – in freedom to make my own choice – rooted in grace, love, and hope. And as I endure my trials and share in the trials of the young men and women I lead; I remember the likeness of the man protruding from the Stone of Hope and get back to work making a positive difference.

Give everything your everything. And then some.

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