After watching Focus on the Family’s Super Bowl ad featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, one might wonder what all the controversy was about.
Not once does Pam use the word “abortion.”
In fact, what she does say is this: “I call him my miracle baby. He almost didn’t make it into this world. I remember so many times when I almost lost him.”
Based on the message, it seems that those who were protesting so loudly were probably protesting the messenger — Focus on the Family — more than they were protesting the message. The message is the same one that hundreds of thousands of mothers could say for many varied reasons. There are many of us who almost didn’t make it into this world — because of illness, complications, disease, abnormalities, and yes ... being threatened in the womb with abortion.
The beauty of the ad, though, is what it does show.
Too often, in crisis pregnancies, the young mother is thinking only about the most immediate concerns — her parents, school, work, her future plans. Caught up in the emotion of the moment, and not knowing what to do, too many choose, or are forced, to end their own baby’s life, without thinking 15, 20 or even 30 years into the future. When a woman takes out her own child, through the violence of abortion, she ends the story.
Every child has a story. That child will eventually grow up, develop relationships, enter the work world, and have an impact on the world and others. The ad not only shows a grown-up Timmy, but also the love and relationship between Tim and his mother, a relationship that would have ended had Tim been aborted.
Tim Tebow, was given a shot at life, and became successful as a football player.
Other abortion survivors have, and will, become teachers, doctors, basketball players, nurses, religious sisters, social workers, gymnasts, artists, farmers, counselors, priests, and even ... writers. I, too, am an abortion survivor. They will be someone’s friend, may be someone’s spouse, and might even one day have children of their own. The love multiplies, and the story continues.
That such a simple ad could inspire so much controversy and debate demonstrates how politicized the “life” issue has become. In politicizing it, we lose sight of the fact that life is a story and that life is meant to be lived.
Tim Tebow, and the many others like him, show us what a “life” really is.
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Yes, the unborn and small children in Iraq and Afghanistan are miracle babies too….at least the ones that survived our destruction and bombing of their country.
Total number of civilian deaths in Iraq - 7,299
Total number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan - 18,319
Total number of abortions in the U.S. since 1973 - 49,551,703
Tim,
This is a wonderful—and truthful—way to look at a life. We are God’s story, created in God’s image. Thank you.
Additionally, let us take the opportunity to remind folks about the movie “Bella.” Yes, another choice to help.
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