I remember when I was at the University of Florida going into my junior year, I was getting ready to play our rival I saw my teammates putting eye blocks under their eyes they were putting their mom’s name, area codes, and different things like that. It got me to thinking what I would put under my eyes so I decided on a verse from the Bible Philippians 4:13 so I could somehow uplift somebody even with that simple passage.
I never thought that it would gain media attention and after a couple of local newspapers wrote about it, I soon noticed people selling the verse in the Gator bookstore or on the side of the streets, chanting it on the stands and one guy named Phil even asked if the verse was for him. But I kept wearing Philippians 4:13 under my eye for the entire football season until the national championship game.
Then I thought of changing the verse and God kept reminding me about John 3:16 because as Christians that’s the essence of our Christianity and our hope. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”
So I went with the verse after getting approval from Coach Meyer and we were blessed to win the national championship. After that game, our PR guy told coach and my parents while we were out eating at a restaurant that 94 million people Googled John 3:16.
Honestly, my first thought was how the heck that many people do not know the verse. But the experience was so humbling for me sitting there in that restaurant thinking about how big the God that we serve really is. He is the God that loves us, the God that created us, and the God that has a plan for us. I believe that He is a big God that wants to do amazing things in us and through us
Then on Jan 8, 2012, exactly three years after I put John 3:16 under my eyes, God reminded me about how big He is and that he never forgets his children. Our PR guy told me while I was about to talk to the media that today is exactly the day I wrote the verse. He told me that during the game I threw for 316 yards, my yards per rush were 3.16, my yards per completion were 31.6, the time of possession was 31.06 and the rating for the night were 31.6 and during the game 90 million people Googled John 3:16.
I was blown away and I am reminded of how big God is and that he wants to perform miracles in our lives and through us. He is a God who loves us so much that he sacrificed his only son to save us. He is a God who wants to fight for us and with us.
od that wants to fight for us and fight with us. He loves us so much that he sacrificed his own son to save us.