I have been since he played at Florida and am thrilled with the success he has been having in Denver. It's obvious that he is not afraid of hard work. He also is an excellent representative of the positives of homeschooling. (Yes, Tebow was homeschooled.)
Chris Schneider/Associated Press
Here is what I have been thinking about all day. Why are people having such a hard time with him? Why can they not "get over him." Why are the pundits and others so bothered by his unabashed expressions of faith? In the words of one of Rick Warren's tweets this past week, "Of ALL the attitudes on display at NFL games, the last people should be bothered by is a guy kneeling to thank God."
Wise words.
I can't really debate his actual or supposed football success... I'm a few years short of my "football degree." What I'm looking at is the overall gist of his success and the simple fact that people cannot handle it.
Yes, you read that right.
People cannot, for the most part, handle another person's off-the-charts success. They cannot handle Tebow's success and the success of anyone else like him.
Anyway, this is one of my favorite poems/quotes and it's on my bathroom mirror:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ---Marianne Williamson
This isn't Scripture, but I think it makes a good point. As I was getting ready this morning, I read over it again and it struck me that this may be part of people's problem with Tebow.
Tebow is not playing small and it's freaking people out.
It is much easier to shift into average mode. Less attention, less responsibilities, less consequences if you mess up, but you definitely put out enough of "whatever" to get by. But it is less, nonetheless. To actually face our "lightness" would require accountability. Dilligence. Sacrifice. Maybe people would raise an eyebrow. Maybe people would wonder "Why?" Maybe people would think we were weird. (God forbid).
But it would be worth it.
If any person dares to challenge the status quo (This is NOT a High School Musical reference!), and I don't know, decide to be better than average, there is a quick movement from the averages, the less-than-averages and the cynics to contain, deflect, criticize and explain away this sudden solar flare of awesomeness.
What if...
What if we just let Tebow be Tebow? He is doing a pretty good job at it, if you ask me. What if we decided to be ok with his above-average success?
I am not trying to make a statement on how people live their lives, whether it's above or below "average." I am not a psychiatrist, a sports analyst or a pastor. In fact, I am merely using Tebow as an example. I can think of many other examples that illustrate this same point.
No. 15 for the Denver Broncos is fulfilling his own unique purpose. God simply needs us to be the very best version of ourselves.
What would happen if we quit shrinking and instead stretched to our own full potential?
