choice

For a reminder of how impactful our choices can be, read the following story that recently came out in a Florida newspaper about one of our former Southern Baptist IMB missionaries to the Philippines:

Just before her pregnancy, Pam fell into a coma after contracting amoebic dysentery, a bacteria transmitted through contaminated drinking water. During her recovery, she received a series of strong medications. And even though she discontinued the regimen when she discovered the pregnancy, doctors told Pam the fetus had been damaged. Doctors later told Pam that her placenta had detached from the uterine wall, a condition known as placental abruption, which can deprive the fetus of oxygen and nutrients. Doctors expected a stillbirth, Pam said, and they encouraged her to terminate the pregnancy "They thought I should have an abortion to save my life from the beginning all the way through the seventh month," she recalled. Pam said her decision to sustain the pregnancy was a simple one - because of her faith. "We were grieved," she said. "And so my husband just prayed that if the Lord would give us a son, that he would let us raise him." In her seventh month of pregnancy, Pam traveled to the country´s capital, Manila, where she received around-the-clock care from an American-trained physician. For the next two months, Pam - steadfastly praying for a healthy child - remained on bed rest. And on her due date - Aug. 14, 1987 - Pam gave birth to a son , who she described as "skinny, but rather long." "We were concerned at first because he was so malnourished, but he definitely made up for it," she said, between laughs. Today her son, now 20, stands at a solid 6´3" and 235 pounds....

His name is Timothy Richard Tebow, the new Heisman trophy winner who Lee Corso from ESPN has described as the best spread offense quarterback who has ever played the game.

But even more important that his football prowess, though substantial, is his walk with Christ. Read below from Tim's own words:

…learning humility: “When I was very young and in T-ball, my parents would never let me tell anyone how many home runs I’d hit. At that age, I wanted to be like, ‘I just hit three home runs!’ But I wasn’t allowed to say that until the other person asked me. Then, when I was older, I learned that God blessed me with athletic ability and that He can take it away in an instant. I’m thankful for it. Just because I play football doesn’t make me more special than anyone else.”

…football as a ministry: “I think anything can be a ministry, especially football when you have a platform. You have 100 guys in the locker room with you every day. But more importantly than that, you have 1,000 kids looking up to you and even more people all across the country. You have the opportunity and the platform, and to not take advantage of that would be a big mistake.”

…what he wants others to take away from watching you on the field: “First, that I am not out there playing for myself. I love the game but I am playing for the Lord Jesus Christ. I am going out there, loving the game and giving everything I’ve got, and hopefully they can see through me the love of Christ.”

…how Christ’s example plays a role in how he leads his team: “Christ was the best leader; so you can learn everything about leadership from Him, seeing how He died on the cross and applying it to your life in every aspect. Also, not just in leadership, but how you interact with people. Teammates don’t just see you as someone who is getting on them, but as someone who loves and cares about them on and off the field.”