Kudos to Tim Tebow for Showing the Love of God to 90,000 Special People

Can we all just agree that Tim Tebow is an awesome human being?

I mean more than just an awesome athlete.

Sure, he’s a Heisman Trophy winner. He’s been a pro quarterback, and is now doing surprisingly well as an outfielder for the New York Mets’ minor league outfit.

Nope. Take all of that away and Tim Tebow is a guy who has used the fame given to him for his physical attributes and skills, and used that platform to be a force of godly love in the world.

On Friday night, the Tim Tebow Foundation hosted what has become an annual event, the “Night to Shine.”

It’s a prom event for people with special needs, where they get to be pampered, decked out, walked down red carpets into fun, music, and dancing, and above all, to be celebrated as loved by an almighty God, precious in His sight.

The event is open for special needs individuals aged 14 and older.

This year, over 540 churches, in all 50 states and 16 countries joined in to host the event, and to bring a night of joy to over 90,000 guests.

That number is up from 375 host churches, 11 countries, and 75,000 guests in 2017.

That’s encouraging. A worthy event that began with a single church is proving to have substantial growth.

Tebow, himself, makes appearances at as many of these events as he can, and he describes it as his favorite night of the year.

“It’s my favorite night of the year and we get to change so many lives,” Tebow said in a video promoting the event. “Honestly, it’s not just the night of their life where they get to dance, and they get to have fun. They get to ride in limos, they get to walk down red carpets.”

He added: “It’s so much more than life, because maybe for the first time, they realize that they’re worth it. They realize that they’re special. They realize that they’re loved. There’s not much more important than that.”

And he’s right. For a community that could be so easily marginalized – and in the past, has been – getting a celebratory night, to be honored and appreciated can have a lasting effect.

“I’m going to love those kids,” Tebow said. “I’m going to make them feel special, and at the end of the night when they’re crowned king or queen of the prom, hopefully they leave realizing that the God of this universe loves them so much and has a special unique plan and purpose for their life. We get to show that with how much we love them.”

You can’t beat that. That’s a good word.

The event has also gathered corporate supporters.

Men’s Warehouse gives discounts on designer tuxedo rentals, and then turns part of those profits back over to the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Firehouse Subs, 3 Musketeers, Shindigz, Secure Search, and Thrivent Financial are all sponsors, as well.

Each “Night to Shine” welcomes its honored guests with the royal treatment: tuxedos and shoe shining stations for the kings, and gorgeous dresses and hair and makeup stations for the queens, along with corsages and boutonnieres. Each guest arrives to a cheering crowd and paparazzi as they walk down the red carpet. Once inside, they enjoy a night of dancing, karaoke and gifts to remember the night.

This is an amazing show of love.

When you consider some of the more celebrated athletes in media, from domestic abusers to the field kneelers (Tebow kneeled, but for a much more noble purpose), the profane and arrogant, it really is a breath of fresh air to see that there are some who get it right.

Tim Tebow is the kind of athlete who should be held up as a role model.

His foundation, along with the “Night to Shine” is the kind of organization and event that deserves to be supported, so if you feel led, go show them some support here.

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