Bittersweet Farm

Our daughter Holly started a Facebook page for Christian girls who admire Tim Tebow. She has lived all her life in Michigan and Ohio and has become, first a Florida fan and now a Denver fan. What meaneth this? Read on:

Deep in my genetic make-up is a strand of loyalty to The Ohio State University Football Program. It’s almost involuntary. I was born and raised in Ohio listening to Ohio State football on autumn Saturday afternoons, when Woody was King of Ohio. Dad owned an old black Studabaker that he would tweak while listening to the games.

Raising our boys we usually listened to the pregame while sweeping the garage or raking the yard or helping friends on those glorious October mornings in the fall. Once I won tickets to the Ohio State Michigan game in a radio contest and Kyle and I watched the classic rivalry in Historic “Shoe” on the banks of the Olentangy in Columbus.

2006 was a dream year for the Buckeyes. Our Buckeyes had run the table winning every game. In the final game of the season Ohio State hosted Michigan in Columbus. Ohio State was rated number one in the nation. Michigan, number two. Ohio State sent Michigan home in defeat and Florida leaped over Michigan in the polls. The Buckeyes would play Florida in Arizona for the National Championship on January 8, 2007.

Chuk, Dan, Wes and I drove from Chicago to watch the game with Kyle and his little family in their apartment in South Bend.

The game started with great promise. Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. We were euphoric. That is because we didn’t know at the time the Buckeyes would only score one more time. Ginn injured his foot during the celebration and was never able to return to the game. It would be his last play as a Buckeye.

The rest of the game was dominated by Florida. Into the game came a young freshman quarterback named Tim Tebow. The word was that he was a believer and that he was home-schooled. His family used the same homeschool program we did. We were in the same organization. At the time we thought little of it. We were too busy choking back the taste of defeat. Florida won 42-14. Tebow would be involved in two national championships at Florida. Later that year he would win the Heisman Trophy.

I remember well our great disappointment that the Buckeyes were undefeated going into the Florida game and lost to Florida and their young quarterback. Kyle stood in the doorway and as we drove away I said what I usually say to take the sting out of temporal disappointment: “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.” The words, though I didn’t know it at the time, were prophetic. We drove home quietly licking our wounds of defeat that night. Little did I know that in the providence of God he would receive great glory from the life of Florida’s young quarterback.

Tim Tebow was born in the Philippines. His parents were Baptist missionaries. When his mother Pam was pregnant she was suffering from a life-threatening illness. The treatment threatened the life of the baby within her. Doctors recommended an abortion. She refused. Tim’s life is a powerful story of the faith of godly parents and a child who was consecrated to the glory of God and as we all know now, he has a national pulpit to proclaim Christ.

Since our bitter defeat in January of 2007, following the career and testimony of Tim Tebow has become a whole-family obsession for the Pierponts. Some of our friends don’t understand our unabashed enthusiasm for the young man. They think it is about sports. It has little to do with sports. It’s all about Jesus Christ our King and his honor on earth. It is about the beauty and winsomeness of a young man playing and living with all his might and making Christ known at every opportunity. Some just don’t understand that. It seems to me that those who are especially jealous for the honor of the name of Christ do. It’s not about sports. It’s not about winning and losing football games. Football games come and go and they mean little. It is about the Eternal honor of the Eternal King. God bless, prosper and protect Tim Tebow as he honors the King!

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory both now and forever Amen. (1 Tim. 1:17)

All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.

Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
Riverview, Michigan
January 16, 2012

P.S. Young Ladies might be interested in my daughter, Holly’s site Christian Girls Love Tim Tebow here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-Girls-3-Tim-Tebow/158372467946