Most of you know who Tim Tebow is – the quarterback for the Denver Broncos who formerly played for the Florida Gators and was the first college sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy. Tim is a great football player, but he is an even greater Christian. When playing for the Florida Gators, he would etch scripture into the eye paint commonly worn by football players.
In the 2009 BCS Championship Game, he wore John 3:16 on his eye paint, and as a result, 92 million people searched “John 3:16” on Google during or shortly after the game. Now I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a single way to reach that many people with the Gospel at one time. Tim is an evangelist, and a football player after that!
But the main story of Tim Tebow’s life does not begin or end with football. Today, Tim is involved with ministry, family and football, in that order.
You see, Tim is really a walking miracle. Tim’s mother, Pam, was encouraged to abort Tim before he was born.
Here is Pam’s story as told in a circulated email:
Pam knows about the pain of considering abortion. More than 21 years ago, she and her husband, Bob, were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in a contaminated food or drink. She entered into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby.
She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. The doctors “didn’t think of it as a life, they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue,” Pam said. While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband, “If you will give us a son, we’ll name him ‘Timothy,’ and we’ll make him a preacher.” Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and, eventually, gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987.
Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also plays football. Pam’s son is Tim Tebow. The University of Florida ‘s star quarterback, became the first sophomore in history to win college football’s highest award, the Heisman Trophy.
When you really stop to think about what Tim Tebow’s life has accomplished in a very short time, it’s unthinkable that he would have been aborted if his parents had not relied on their faith. In one day, 92 million people heard the Gospel of Christ through Tim’s evangelism. God only knows how many lives will be touched through his continued ministry.
Tim Tebow’s life stands in stark contrast to the evils of abortion. How many Tim’s have we aborted in this country? How many young lives have been sacrificed from fear or lack of faith? To try and comprehend the impact of the loss of 55 million Tims is beyond my ability to bear.
But I know one thing. Abortion is not the answer – faith in God is the answer.
In the days we are living in, it is becoming increasingly important to have the right response to the challenges that are sure to present themselves. Fear and the other emotions can cause us to sin against God instead of responding as He would direct us. It’s more important than ever before to know the Word of God and be able to discern His will.
While we do all we can to help save babies at Lori’s House, keep us in your prayers and remember that through one life like Tim Tebow, God can accomplish mighty things. Each baby we save has the potential to reach millions for Christ!
