The Change We Believe In: A Letter from Tim Tebow
December 17th, 2019Share This Story
We want to personally wish you a Merry Christmas and pray you and your family are blessed with love and joy in this season!
A few months ago, someone asked me to describe the change I want to see in the world for people with special needs. To be honest, the question moved me to tears. There is SO much change that I would like to see...it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by it at times. But it’s not only for those with special needs. It’s change for the orphan. Change for the child who is abused, bullied, or shamed. Change for anyone the world labels as “less than.” By God’s grace, we are beginning to see real transformation in many places. But many placesare not enough. My heart’s desire is for change to take place everywhere.
Creating change that lasts is a slow process, and not an easy one. But I think we take the first step by shifting our mindset. When we truly begin to view ALL people as made in the image of God, the inherent value of each and every individual becomes impossible to argue. We begin to understand that there is meaning and purpose assigned by God to every human life. A person can no longer be viewed as nobody…he or she is somebody. People’s differences or perceived limitations are no longer what defines them. They are indeed special, but not in the way the phrase “special needs” so often describes. They are special simply because they are His beloved children, perfectly and purposefully made in the image of their Creator.
When we start to truly grasp the inherent value of every single person on this earth, we also begin to see the unique gift they each bring to the table. Everyone has something beautiful and special to offer the world...something that does not define their worth, but something given by Him, for His purposes and, ultimately, His glory. With every conversation I have with a person with special needs or a child with a terminal illness, I walk away having learned a valuable lesson. What these people teach me time and time again goes so far beyond anything I could ever teach them. The joy, the steadfastness, the hope they have despite truly challenging circumstances…that is a gift they have to offer the world.
Ask a first-time volunteer at Night to Shine. I have met volunteers who have told me their entire lives changed in one evening because of the joy they witnessed firsthand on the face of an Honored Guest. I truly believe people with special needs are making a significant impact on the world simply by being who they are. It’s why we can’t look down upon them, why we can’t look past them, and why we cannot allow others to do the same. We have to look at them directly in the eyes and love them exactly for who they are, not only because that’s what we’re called as believers to do, but also because we need them just as much as they need us. They are true catalysts for Faith, Hope and Love in the world today.
There has never been a more crucial time to fight for the change we want to see. Even in today’s modern world, children are being abused, neglected…forgotten. Children are being abandoned, left to fend for themselves without means to do so.Children with curable medical conditions are suffering indefinitely simply because affordable, accessible healthcare is not an option for them. Hope for a different future depends on how we engage in the fight now, and countless lives hang in the balance.
At TTF, we believe this is the battle the Lord has called us to right now. Though it seems countercultural in today’s society, we also believe our strongest weapon is love – love for God and love for others. ALL others. We pray people decades from now would look at our ministry, and see that it is first and foremost marked by love, a love that is changing the world by impacting one life at a time. But we cannot accomplish our mission alone. Our plans for 2020 are great, but our God is greater, and one of His greatest gifts to us is you, our giving family. It’s not an exaggeration to say your support is crucial. Whether through prayer, service, or financial gifts, your generosity is one of the most powerful weapons in the fight.
As we focus our effort on the front-line work to create change that we are committed to right now, we humbly ask that you consider helping us meet these most critical needs with a gift toward our goal of $436,772 to close out the year. If you have already made a gift to TTF, I am extremely grateful for you and that you have already chosen to be a part of this fight!
Thank you for believing in us, and more importantly, for believing in the children we serve together. May you know how deeply grateful we are for your willingness to join us in the fight for their lives.
Serving HIM Together,
Tim Tebow
Founder & Chairman
To make a gift in support of our new and ongoing ministries, please visit www.timtebowfoundation.org
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The Change We Believe In: A Letter from Tim Tebow
Hello December 17th, 2019
