Tim Tebow - Shaken: Young Readers Edition: Fighting to Stand Strong No Matter What Comes Your Way

Tim Tebow is not an athleteathlete is what Tim fills in on his tax return. That does not begin to tell the story of who he is. Tim is a role model, an inspiration to those who have a dream and are willing to accept life as a journey full of ups and downs.

J ON B ON J OVI, singer-songwriter

Shaken shows us a side of Tim Tebow that weve never gotten to see before. In this book, Tim comes alongside his reader and says, Ive been there too, and proceeds to show us how God is faithful even when our entire lives feel shaken to the core.

M ARK B ATTERSON, pastor and New York Times best-selling author of The Circle Maker

Tim has always inspired me with his dedication to grow and improve in all aspects of life, especially his faith. With this book, Tim encourages readers to keep moving and stay strong while battling lifes obstacles.

C AM N EWTON, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers

Whether or not youve followed Tims career, Shaken speaks to something weve all had to deal withtrusting God when the plans for our lives dont work out as we expected. Tim shares his journey from the Broncos to the Jets to the Patriots and beyond with refreshing honesty. He comes alongside us as a friend and gives us hope for the days our lives take an unexpected turn. I am so grateful to call Tim my friend; his life and passion constantly inspire me! Whatever Tim does he does with all his heart, and this book reflects that incredible commitment! I love Tim, and by the end of this book, you will too!

J UDAH S MITH, lead pastor of the City Church and New York Times best-selling author of Jesus Is _______.

Shaken is everyones story. All of us know what it is to experience the best of days and the lowest of days. For Tim, hes lived those days in public. I have the privilege to call Tim my friend and can tell you that with him, what you see is what you get, which seems rare these days! I appreciate how real and raw Tim is with his own struggles. In Shaken you will find great encouragement for your own life and faith.

C HRIS T OMLIN, worship leader and songwriter

Through My Eyes

Shaken

Shaken Bible Study

Shaken Bible Study DVD

Know Who You Are. Live Like It Matters.

S HAKEN: Y OUNG R EADERS E DITION

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org). Scripture quotations marked ( MSG ) are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc. Scripture quotations marked ( NIV ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ( NLT ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Details in some anecdotes and stories have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved.

This work is based on Shaken by Tim Tebow, first published in hardcover by WaterBrook in 2016. Shaken copyright 2016 by Timothy R. Tebow.

Hardcover ISBN9780735289963

Ebook ISBN9780735289970

Copyright 2017 by Timothy R. Tebow

Cover design by Kristopher K. Orr; cover photography by Bryan Soderlind

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Tebow, Tim, 1987 author.

Title: Shaken : fighting to stand strong no matter what comes your way/ Tim Tebow, with AJ Gregory.

Description: Young Readers Edition. | Colorado Springs, Colorado : WaterBrook, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017016085| ISBN 9780735289963 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780735289970 (electronic : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Identity (Psychology)Religious aspectsChristianity. | SuccessReligious aspectsChristianity. | StudentsReligious life.

Classification: LCC BV4509.5 .T43 2017 | DDC 248.4dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017016085

crownpublishing.com

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To the two best things in my life:

Jesus, the greatest gift I ever received.

My family. The thing about family is that you dont get to pick them. But if I could, Id choose every one of you. I love you, Mom, Dad, Christy, Katie, Robby, and Peter!

INTRODUCTION

I m grateful for the life experiences Ive hadthe good, the bad, and the ugly. Sure, Ive had my ups and downs. As Ive done things a little bit differently, the world has tried to force me onto a roller coaster of identities. It has tried to tell me who I am based on my circumstances.

Was my identity found in the highs when I won the Heisman Trophy or later when the Denver Broncos were making a playoff run? No. Was my identity found when, a year later, I was cut from the team? No.

When Im on top of my game, it seems everyone loves and respects me. But when Im at the bottom of the heap, I get criticized and torn down. You know what Ive learned through all this? How important it is not to allow either the highs or the lows in life to determine who you are.

Its tempting to define ourselves or to measure our worth by what we see on the outsideby how we look, by how athletic we are, by how much money we have, by what others say about us. The list is long.

Think about this. Who are you when everything is going greatwhen youre acing your classes, when youre winning the games, when youre part of the in crowd, when your home life is picture perfect? Now, think about who you are when your world is shakenwhen youre barely passing your exams, when you dont make the team, when your parents are fighting like crazy, when your boyfriend or girlfriend just broke up with you, when you just cant push that sadness away. Sometimes it takes a challenging time to really find out who you are.

While many know about my career highs, few know the details about the lows. Like having to learn that Gods plans are better and bigger than mine. Or feeling torn about the future. Or dealing with my dreams being shattered after getting cut from three NFL teams. I admit, writing this book hasnt been easy. It was tough to relive some painful moments. But Im so grateful to share with you what Ive learned: Ive realized that who I am has nothing to do with wins or losses, praise or rejection. It has to do with whose I amwhom I belong to. Knowing this, I can live out what a king from ancient Israel wrote in Psalm 16:8: