FINISH STRONG

by Barbara Chadwick

I just finished the book, Through My Eyes, by Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker. I mentioned it two weeks ago.  I am impressed. I’m impressed with Tim’s desire to make his life count for Jesus, and his desire to be the best that he can be in whatever he does.

He is a two-time winner of the NCAA National Football Championship with the University of Florida and he is the first-ever sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. But what shines more for me is that he loves the Lord.

Here are two statements he made before the 2008 BCS National Championship Game:

- I have never been more nervous than I was headed into the BCS National Championship Game
- After all of the hours, days, and months in the weight room, it was time for all of that to pay off.

 The score was 7-7 at halftime and stayed close through the third quarter. In the fourth quarter with time running down Tebow made a touchdown with a jump pass from the four yard line to cinch the game. They won 24-14 and became the 2008 National Champions.

 He writes: “After the final touchdown I walked over to Coach Meyer. He pulled off his headset, opened up his arms, gave me a great big hug and said, ‘Atta boy. Great job. You finished. I love you.’”

 The next paragraph says, “As great as that was, how much greater will it feel when we get to heaven and Jesus takes off his headset, opens up His arms, gives us a big hug, and says, ‘Atta boy. Great job. You finished. I love you.’ … Finishing strong; It’s great for football. You have to finish in football; you have to learn how to finish in the weight room, through the line, finishing a sprint everything gets hard. Finish. Eventually some people are going to stop, some people are going to quit, and some people are going to start going slower, but the people who can finish and finish at the same pace or stronger than when they started, those are the ones who are going to succeed… Those are the ones who are going to have an impact in this world and on the lives of others around them. How much more so in life to finish strong. For yourself. For the world. For others. For the God who created you."

At the end of the book he says, “As I’ve said before, ‘I don’t know what my future holds, but I do know Who holds my future.’ With that in mind, I’m pressing on toward the upward call of Christ Jesus, seeking to continue living in the way that always brings glory to him.”

 Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7,  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.  And we can hear God say, “Atta boy. Great job. You finished. I love you.”