Tebow Post

Over the holiday break I read Tim Tebow's Through My Eyes book.  You know who Tebow is, right?  The Christian quarterback who is getting so much press lately.  Is Tebow a great leader?  Some people like him.  Other hate him.  I choose to like him.  He seems like an alright kinda guy.  

I bookmarked over 30 passages in Through My Eyes.  Here are just some of the passages that caught my attention as well as my little commentary (in blue).

Tebow talks about Competition
Page 20

When parents tell their kids today, "It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you have fun," I'm puzzled. ... That's just not how I'm wired.  Bottom line, losing isn't fun. ... Of course, there is intrinsic value in playing the game itself and how well you play it, and always playing to the best of your ability, but at some point the actual competition has to be a piece of the analysis as well.  After all, there'd be no point to the rules or keeping score if it were simply and only about having fun."

I just thought that this was funny.  Tebow is very honest that he is just straight-up competitive.  Every parents has used this line at one point or another. 


Tebow talks about Hard Work
Page 38

And that's when I adopted one of my mantras for getting stronger and better for all my workouts:
       Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

This makes sense to me.  Working hard has been my family mantra for years.  If you work hard, then you can (possibly) come out ahead of those who don't work hard but have natural talents.  Either way, you must work hard.


Tebow talks about making Choices
page 74

Choosing between the many scholarship offers I was blessed to receive really boiled down to relationships.  As with most areas of our lives, whom we will work with and who will be our friends makes all the difference. 

page 83

People often seem to think that when you're following the Lord and trying to do His will, your path will always be clear, the decisions smooth and easy. and life will be lived happily ever after and all that.  Sometimes that may be true, but I've found that more often, it's not.  ... When it comes to making decisions, the key that God is concerned with is that we are trusting and seeking Him.

I think that surrounding yourself with good people will help you to become a better person.  You don't want people to drag you down or to get mixed in with the wrong crowd.


Tebow talks about Being Part of a Team
page 97

For me, more important than winning the quarterback's job was earning some playing time, being part of the team, building the trust of the coaches and my teammates, and being able to contribute.  That's what I took so much pride in and what I wanted to accomplish.  I hoped to carve out a role for myself that contributed to the good of the team in every game.

Fabulous.  You can carry this thought into every walk of life.  I truly feel like every person on earth who is contributing to society, no matter how much, is an important piece of the puzzle.  You just have to be giving as much as you can give (with time/resources).  No one is more valuable than the other... for the most part. 

As people, we should hope to carve out roles for ourselves that contribute to the good of society.


Tebow talks about Waiting
page 99

... warming up to stay ready and then not knowing when your number will be called in.  It was a "wait, then hurry up, and then wait again" situtation, like much of life.  You never know when an opportunity to help, to do something good, to lift up someone, or some situtation will come your way.  Always be prepared so that you can do your best when it's time.

Duh!

Tebow responds to a reporter about Losing a Game
page 105

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
(from 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

He seems like a kind-hearted man.  I'm sure he's not perfect.  I do believe that he has some great words to live by for believers and nobelievers. I hope you enjoyed some of these passages.

Which one of these passages speaks to you?

I like all of them.  Today, as I search for my purpose in life, I keep coming back to "I hoped to carve out a role for myself that contributed to the good of the team in every game."