Tebow size "it"
I have to admit that I am a football fan. Football is a microcosm of life. As in football we struggle every day. We figuratively get knocked down, and we get up. I have used the sport of football to successfully teach character and leadership to young men. In fact, I was a founder of a ministry varsity football team for home school, private school and public school kids in Maryland. This team has been very successful in turning lives around--things from discipline issues at home, drug use, bad grades, respect, you name it. The mix of Christian home school/private school boys with inner city kids has proven a success. Football teaches life skills of hard work, individual effort, team effort. We have seen amazing results.
That is why I am so tired this morning writing the Daily Jot. I stayed up and watched a Christian home school boy win his fourth game this year in the NFL. Before the game between the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets, the announcers were building their case why quarterback Tim Tebow would not be successful as an NFL quarterback. All the analysts have been saying that Tebow has bad mechanics, can't pass well, is too this or too that--generally, they believe he should hang up his cleats. Throughout the year, people have mocked him, harassed him, made fun of this young man, primarily because he is a stand out and stand up Christian who lets his actions do his talking.
Tim Tebow exemplifies everything that football ought to be. He exemplifies everything that Christian men should be. Throughout the game, the announcers showed Tebow praying at different locations around the world. It seemed that they were trying to make light of it, but didn't dare. After he dismantled the vaunted Jets defense on a last quarter 95 yard drive and scored the winning touchdown, the cameramen focused over and over again on Tebow giving thanks to God. The NFL channel held their first interview of Tebow after the game. The announcers who have been saying that Tebow can't play were stunned by his answers. First, he thanked his personal savior Jesus Christ, then he showed who he was.
The announcers asked repeatedly what is "it" that makes him so good. Tebow humbly kept saying that it is faith, believing, believing in one another. He said that football was a platform. He said he was thankful for the game because it made things possible like the hospital that was being built in the Philippines. They would ask again another way. He answered another way--saying he had to be focused on what he could do and leave the rest to God, always trying to improve. They kept saying "This kid's got "it."" But they didn't know what "it" was. Jesus said in John 7:38, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Tebow was giving them living water in answering their questions, they just couldn't recognize "it."
