It doesn’t take much to get me to cry. I weep at Hallmark commercials and practically ball my eyes out at the end of any sports event aired on TV, whether it’s for the winning or losing team. My waterworks usually don’t begin until the final moment or at least not until the the climax, but Greater made my eyes soaking wet twenty minutes into the movie. Hearing a young boy, longing to find his place in this world sing “I’ll Fly Away” with his obviously broken father was all it took.
I was pulled in, and so was my family, with my oldest daughter trying to hide her equally wet eyes. What was this story about? Who was this awkward little boy? What was the deal with his dad? Whose that guy that looks old enough to be his dad, but is really his brother? And what does this all have to do with college football and a tragic ending?
Greater is more than a movie.
Greater is a real life story of an underdog little boy who lived with unwavering character, integrity, faith, and perseverance as he pursued his dream to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
This boy, Brandon Burlsworth, turned out to be the greatest walk-on in the history of college football. He endured an entire childhood right into his teenage years as a write-off by his peers and coaches alike. Except for this one coach, who spoke wisdom into a young, failing football player. His life-giving words challenged him to show up with all he had, before anyone else showed up on the field, and to be the last to leave.
I wanted to push pause, right there on that scene unfolding early in the movie.
It was such a perfect picture of the power and influence a mentor could have with one life-giving word.
I couldn’t help but think of the most life-changing moments in my life — those times when someone older took the time to breathe hope into my soul. And I thought of my children, and the myriad of mentors they’ve had. Women and men, teenage girls and guys, who have influenced my children with their kindness and carefully spoken, life-giving words. Maybe this is why I am so passionate about simplifying mentoring — I’ve witnessed first-hand that doesn’t have to be a program or steeped with commitment.
Biblical mentoring requires a heart sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and willingness to look for opportunities to speak life, truth, and wisdom from the Word into the next generation.
It’s doesn’t require being a coach or teacher or youth leader, although those are perfect roles in which mentoring is built into the responsibilities. Everyone, in Christ, is qualified to mentoring biblically as they follow Christ distinctly.
That moment in Greater, the coach stepped out of the stands, not off the field, to speak life into this overweight, underdeveloped, unfairly crushed junior high kid. He wasn’t his coach. He was the high school coach. Sure, he might have been motivated to shape his future player, but I like to think we was just acting as a instrument of God, seeing a purpose and potential in not an athlete, but an individual.
If this coaches’ story was anything like mine, or remotely similar to my life coaching clients, I’m sure he didn’t just arrive at that place of kindness and purpose. I bet his story was marred by hardships and trials. I bet he even made a mistake or two or two hundred, saying and doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and hurting someone he cared for. But I also wonder if someone, somewhere spoke a life-giving word to him, and motivated him to do the same. I’m pretty sure the answer is yes.
[Tweet “Mentoring forms a circle of life-giving relationships. “]
As that junior high football player, Brandon’s life was changed by the minutes invested from a mentor. His dream of playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, became a reality one day, even though he wasn’t good enough at that moment. He went on to finish that season and later played for that high school coach, who paused to encourage his potential. He also went on to play Division I ball as a walk-on for the Razorbacks, turning away a scholarship to play elsewhere.
Brandon’s underdog story continued in college, as the “awkward kid who once was an embarrassment to his teammates and an annoyance to his coaches, ended up becoming the most respected player in the history of the program, changing the lives of all he touched.”
Brandon Burlsworth’s life was cut short by tragedy, but his legacy is living on.
I won’t give away the story, because I want you to see the movie. I want you to see what a mentor can do . . . so simply, organically, and powerfully. And I want you to wrestle through the questions of faith that we all wrestle with. My family sobbed more after the credits rolled than in any other movie we’ve seen together. That’s because this story wasn’t made up. It was real and the grief hit us hard. As his brother said minutes before his funeral:
“Is there even a why, or is it just an is?”
That’s a honest question, don’t you think? And one worth airing together as a family, even if there is no answer. Equally important is taking time to think long and hard about the ways God wants us to influence others with the testimony of our own faith, integrity, and perseverance, while also considering practical ways to step into mentoring roles with others.
So, go see Greater. But before you go, grab a copy of Impact Together: Biblical Mentoring Simplified and join in the next free online study. How I’d love to equip you to influence lives like Brandon in the way that high school coach did from the sidelines.
GREATER is an inspirational movie based on the life of Brandon Burlsworth
that reminds us that any dream is possible.
Watch the Greater Trailer at https://youtu.be/gfmygLVJETU.
GREATER releases in theaters this August 26 . . . find a theater near you here.*
*I received pre-release access to view this movie from Grace Hill Media in exchange for this post. The views expressed are my own. The movie is rated PG. I would consider the content mature. There are a few profanities and sexual innuendos.
Beautifully said. Each time I mentor someone, I think I come away more changed than they do. Sometimes I feel guilty I get so much out of it!