“Jesus Loves Me This I Know…,” so goes the song many of us sang as youngsters. But how can we understand how much Jesus loves us? To comprehend, here’s a real-life story of love and believing.

It was 1961 when Lou Holtz had just married the love of his life, Beth. Lou was a graduate student and graduate assistant coach at the University of Iowa. Their main source of groceries were scraps from the Iowa football team training table.

Spring training had just finished, and all the couple had was their love and a small apartment in Iowa City. One day Lou came home with a brand-new vacuum cleaner.

The new bride Beth, exclaimed “Lou we can’t afford a used broom, and you buy a new vacuum cleaner”?

Lou replied, “Don’t worry Beth, I’m going to sell vacuum cleaners this summer to make ends meet”.

Beth had learned one thing about Lou, that you could never challenge his dedication and resourcefulness.

So, the next day Lou shines his shoes and sets off to be the best door to door salesman ever.

That night when Lou came home, Beth asks “how did it go”?

“Well, I met a lot of nice people today Beth” came the reply.

“How many vacuums did you sell”?

“None today but tomorrow will be better,” Lou said.

Day 2, Lou heads out to tackle the world and returns home without a single sale.

Day 3, then Day 4, then an entire week and Lou has yet to sell a vacuum. This goes on for several weeks with the same results of not one sale.

Finally, into the second month of no sales, Lou walks in the door and Beth recognizes “the look”.

If you’ve been fortunate to have been married for 10, 25 or 50 plus years you will understand what “the look” is. You’re the only one who will see that something is not right, while others can’t.

Beth motions Lou to sit with her at the kitchen table. “Lou”, says Beth, “I witness every day the enthusiasm you have for life and how you never give up. But Lou, I have to tell you that you’ll never be a vacuum cleaner salesman.”

Lou drops his head in embarrassment.

But Beth continues, “Lou, I don’t need fancy clothes, a new car or big house on the hill. We need and love each other and that is what matters most.”

She continues, “If you could do and be anything what would it be?”

“Well,” Lou replies, “I really like football and I love being around young people. Maybe I’d be a good football coach.” (author’s interjection. Lou Holtz, formerly the most revered coach of the Notre Dame fighting Irish, National Championship coach and winner of nearly every award in NCAA Division I Sports, says “I might be a pretty good coach?”)

Beth’s reply comes straight from her heart, “Lou, I don’t care if you’re an assistant Junior High football coach, as long as we’re together that’s what will be important. I will always love you and believe in us.”

And so began a lifetime of love and belief in each other that lasted 60 years.

If you have been fortunate enough to experience such unconditional love between a husband and wife, then multiply that love by a thousand times and perhaps you could understand how much we’re loved by Jesus.

Jesus loves us this I know, for the bible tells us so.

Rick Young is a resident of Jewell and serves as the chairman of the Hamilton County Supervisors. He met Lou Holtz years ago, and this is one of the stories he heard directly from him.