#28 LIFE’S BLESSINGS

Ordinary people do extraordinary things.  Need proof?  Sit with someone who doesn’t have a lamp shade covering their light and get to know them through their words, not your personal thoughts.  We can’t walk in their shoes, but knowing how the laces were ripped ‘better than an open mic night in the 3-1-3’ (Detroit shout out); can build up mistiness in most eyes.

Ordinary people do extraordinary things.  Better yet, ask how their shoes received the indentations on the external surface, splitting through durable leather, due to repetitive usage.  Although the soles look depleted; the inside is still protected, holding up for another day.

Ordinary people do extraordinary things.  Take time to sit and listen.  Their story will warm your heart more than a cup of coffee, giving glow to our challenging moments.

Ordinary people do extraordinary things.  True story.  Four years before the summer of the year 2000, a young teen by the name of Rufus Leach wanted to play Division – 1 Basketball; however he did not receive any scholarship offers at the level he desired by the time he graduated high school in 1997.  He worked and worked.  Eventually, by 1999 – 2000 he was the leading scorer on a Division-1 team.  A team at a university in Boone, North Carolina.  That day to remember, started out like most days for athletes on a college campus; summer school classes for a few hours and then off to the field house for weights and conditioning.  Afterwards, Rufus and a few of his teammates went to a lake to relax on a boat at the lake.  By the end of the day he decided to jump out of the boat and swim back to shore as his teammates rode in.  While swimming, he caught a cramp and while fighting for his life to stay afloat, the boat was too far away to help quick enough.  As the boat picked up steam, Rufus disappeared, never to be seen again, alive.  Yes it;s true, “bad things happen to good people,” but remember – ordinary people do extraordinary things.

By Rufus’ and his families pain, was another families gain.  His death, opened up a scholarship and his scholarship was transferred to a young teen, who since 1995 had a vision to play Division – 1 Basketball in North Carolina.  The dream was impossible by the standards of the 5,000 population town, mainly because no one had ever done it.  Unbeknownst to the teen, he never saw a young man giving him the gift of a scholarship by way of losing his life… and because of that it saddens me to say – “I, Noah Brown, am forever grateful for Rufus Leach, a young man I never met, but the reason for my scholarship blessings, that I will never forget.”

Ordinary people do extraordinary things…

Stay lifted,

Lucky Lefty