Former National Football League (NFL) player Tim Tebow has a pretty strong message about kindness; he believes that it has the power to transform lives and turn moments into unforgettable memories.
When he delivered his speech during the 2015 Evening of Hope at Bayside Community Church, Tebow shared an experience he had during the 2011 NFL playoffs, when he was still a Denver quarterback.
He wore a bracelet that was made for him by a girl with cancer, but while he was running, he was dragged down by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and the contact was so strong that it broke the bracelet, according to the Bradenton Herald.
Tebow jokingly teased Polamalu about it and shared the bracelet's story, and the football player was so apologetic that he told Tebow, "Oh Timmy, I'm sorry. God bless you."
"I'm just like, 'God bless you, too, freak,'" Tebow laughingly said. Tebow might joke about the incident but he was really touched by Polamalu's reaction, because kindness is rarely shown on the football field. He added that nobody in the NFL locker rooms ever says: "Hey, bro, you're really kind," so for Polamalu to react the way he did was really saying something.
Tebow also shared an unforgettable experience he had in the Philippines. He visited a school there and noticed that there were three children who were in a separate room and missed out on the chance to meet the athlete. Turns out, one of the children's feet were backward and the school felt ashamed of the disabled child and refused to let him meet Tebow.
Two of his friends refused to leave his side and offered to stay with him during Tebow's visit. The athlete was so touched by this gesture that he spent as much time as he could with the three boys. And right before he left, he told the disabled child that he could not wait to meet him again in heaven.
