God, Shane & Tebow

If you are friends with me on Facebook or your associated with Unity Christian School you know part of this story.  To truly see how God's hand is in all of this I must tell you the WHOLE story.  If you read our CaringBridge you know how we surprised Jake and Sam with a trip to Jacksonville FL last March to meet Tim Tebow.  Shane was pretty sick at the time, but he insisted on going stating it may be his last trip with the family.  I will recap a little in case you are not familiar.  We were able to meet Tebow in a private meet & greet due to Shane's sickness.  We were there with several pediatric patients and their families.  Tebow was very generous with his time speaking with each of us.  Shane gave him a cd of the sermon he preached on Feb 28th and told him that this was a sermon from a man possibly dying of cancer and it was based on 1 Cor 13:13 and ironically we found out that is the verse the Tim Tebow Foundation is based on.  Shane also donated a sizable contribution to the foundation.  As we were leaving Robby Tebow came out behind us and told us that Tim wanted Shane's contact info.  Of course, Shane didn't have any business cards so they exchanged cell phone numbers.  I later discovered that Shane had texted him saying that it was a priviledge to meet both of them and that he had been up most of the night praying for them and to continue to do God's work.  Fast forward to the day Shane passed.  Jake picked up Shane's phone an sent Robby a text about Shane's passing.  Days passed, then weeks, then months.  We often wondered if Tebow ever listened to the sermon or if Robby ever received the text from Jake.  I would try to explain to Jake that when your as famous as he that they are probably bombarded with people wanting to get in touch with them etc.  Up to present day, on Thursday night we were watching the ESPN documentary on Tebow.  They showed some of the footage of the autograph signing in Jacksonville that brought back so many memories of that sweet trip.  Jake looked up at me with his Shane Richardson blue eyes and asked, "mom, do you think he ever listened to that cd dad gave him?" I shrugged and said, "Baby, I just don't know."  If you haven't seen the documentary and even if your not a Tebow fan you should watch it.  It shows his determination, his love for Christ, everything that makes him an ok role model for kids.  I went to bed that night with a heavy heart, wondering why we never heard anything back from them concerning the cd or the text.  Although I had tried to reassure Jake I was also trying to reassure myself.  After the kids were asleep I decided to write a letter to Tims mom.  I was going to write it and worry about finding a way to get it to her the next day.  I wrote about our  last year, our trip to meet Tebow.  I thought that maybe from one mother's heart to another she could maybe give us some reassurance. I know it was a long shot but I wanted to do something to help with Jake's question.  I told her that I was just a mom trying to pick up the pieces to a 10 year olds broken heart.  I fell asleep thinking maybe this could allow a little closure for all of us.   Friday morning I got the boys off to school and was checking my messages.  I received a message on FB from a young girl I don't know.  She said she knew about us and our story from the school she teaches at and she had continued to pray for us.  She said she remembered hearing that we met Tebow (she's a huge fan also) and remembered hearing how Shane shared the CD with him.  She said she had a friend that attended Lipscomb University that had sent her a link to a speech of Tebow's she attended.  She said she just watched it and was astonished at hearing our name at the end of his speech.  So I watched the link and oh my word, disbelief, excitement, joy were just some of the emotions I was feeling.  I was crying, laughing all at the same time.  I rushed to get to Unity so that I could share it with Jake and Sam.  Of course I shared it with GG (Shane's best bud) and he couldn't believe it.  He asked Mr. Rix if there was some way we could transfer it to a smart board to share with the class.  Thanks to Mr. Rix we were able to pull it off.  We interrupted the end of Jake's class, had Sam with us and watched the 4th part of Tim Tebow's speech (if you haven't watched all 4 parts you need to, and you need to share it with your kids, awesome) with a class full of 10 & 11 year olds.  At the very end he reads the text that Jake had sent Robby on April 3rd concerning Shane's passing.  Then he says, "This text means more to me than any Natl Championship, or any Heisman Trophy."  Jakes reaction was everything I expected.  To hear your 2nd hero say those words about a simple text he received from you is huge, big for a 10 year old and big for a 10 year olds mom. 

I tell you this because all of this was orchestrated by God.  The timing was perfect.  Tebow gave this speech just 2 weeks after Shane's passing we could have easily gotten word about it then.  I also have a curious son that is researching his interest non-stop, how he never came across this speech is a God thing too. However, we didn't need to know it then, we needed to know it 9 months later.  God used a sweet angel named Rachel as the deliverer.  She assumed that we were already aware of this but said she felt lead to send it anyway.  I spoke with her yesterday and I thanked her for doing this, had she not we would have never known.  Also, after writing the letter to Mrs. Tebow I wake up to receive this message and just after Jake asked me if I thought Tebow ever listened to dads cd.  God's timing is perfect and He sends things when He knows we need it, not when we expect it and not when we think we need it.  No coincidences or mistakes with HIM.  For me, hearing Tim Tebow mention my son, my husband and my family in front of a packed house just after Shane's death is HUGE to me.  To hear a young man, proclaiming that he is successful not because he wins Natl Championships, Heismans, or is an NFL player but becasue he has Jesus Christ as his Savior is just a breath of fresh air.  In a world where people let us down everyday my sons have another role model, their first one being their dad and their second being Tim Tebow.  I am ok with that because Tim Tebow has the same passion as Shane Richardson...Jesus Christ, and neither were/are ashamed to talk about it.  I recieved numerous text and msgs saying Shane's legacy lives on.  For that I am thankful. 

Tim Tebow, even though you will never know, you have helped put some of the pieces of my 10 year olds broken heart together and hopefully you have inspired my boys to be a light in the world just like you.  Continue to do His work, continue proclaiming His Goodness. Go Broncos!!

Dear God, thank you for your perfect timing.  Thank you for sweet angels among us delivering news that needed to be delivered.  Thank you for constantly helping us heal our hearts and thank you for a young man named Tim that is such a witness for you.  Thank you for letting us continue to learn from a servant named Shane, he continues to teach us all what it is to truly love you.  Thank you for a school that would allow my children to watch a video of a man proclaiming Your Goodness, and Grace and thank you for those for allowing this to happen.  This school continually wraps its arms around our family and I ask special blessings on this school.  Thank you for your love dear God.  Glory be to You and only You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Dear Shane, I know there are windows in Heaven and that you are aware of things here but yesterday was a very good day.  We experienced joy that we haven't experienced in a while.  Thanks to our Father that has perfect timing. He is allowing the work that you started here to continue on.  He is getting the Glory just as you had wished through all of this.  I will do my best to continue to bring Glory to Him through our story.  We miss you but know your new work continues There.  I thank you for teaching me so much in our time together about God, love and life in general and I will continue teaching the children your values and passions.  Thank you for being the BEST role model to my babies. Love you more.

Sorry, I couldn't get this link off!!