Former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, ridiculed during his playing days for expressing his Christian faith, continues to promote the word of God in retirement, this time with a powerful book helping people of all ages navigate life’s turbulence and setbacks by offering readers a chance to explore trials and tribulations with fresh perspectives and open minds.
The book, ‘If the Tree Could Speak: The Story of the Cross That Saw It’ shares a life-changing lesson in parable form, much as Jesus told stories to relate big ideas to his disciples over two-thousand years ago. Tebow cleverly follows the arc of a seedling that grows into a tree, with aspirations to be ultimately crafted into a fine door or table.
However, the mature tree is eventually cut down and shaped into a cross – at the time a symbol of shame as it was used to mete out punishment for criminals. The tree is despondent; it had marvelous hopes for its future but was resigned to its ignominious fate of living its final years as a lowly station for the underclass.
The outspoken apologist used the metaphor – we are all the seedling and tree – to tell a gripping story of life transformed by knowing Jesus. “I decided to go back to when this tree was just a seed. Then it grew up, and it had dreams — and he dreams of being a door, a table or maybe even a throne. And then he hears about this carpenter that everybody’s praising, and he’s thinking, ‘Maybe that carpenter could turn me into a masterpiece,” Tebow explained in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The story takes a wonderful turn, though, when the cross it has become is carried by Jesus up Golgotha, or Calvary Hill. As Tebow describes in story form, the tree is given new life and new purpose through Christ.
“You fast-forward to his encounter with Jesus on the cross, and his perspective changes,” he went on, describing how the tree went from a sense of despair for being reduced to serving criminals to living out his ultimate purpose of helping Christ in his greatest glory. “He sees the love of God, and how his life is transformed because of this encounter with Jesus.”
The tree goes on to ask the Lord for a voice to counter the nasty verbal assaults hurled at Jesus during his crucifixion. In response, the Messiah gave him both the words and strength to stand tall and be unashamed of his identity. “‘I would tell them all who you are. I will tell them how different [you are] — I would tell him about your love.”
Tebow continued, imagining how the conversation might have gone between the transformed tree and Savior. “And I can just imagine Jesus saying, ‘Yeah, but that’s not your job. You just do your job, and your job is to keep me up high.” The lesson here is obvious: Everyone in life faces obstacles and setbacks while trying to achieve hopes and dreams without realizing what God is doing, Tebow explained.