I Am Not Just A Pretty Face | Demi-Leigh Tebow

Demi Leebo had a whirlwind year in 2017 reigning as Miss Universe years before that she was very busy with winning the Miss South Africa Crown at the end of her reign as Miss Universe Demi Lee crowned her successor and suddenly felt like the rug was ripped right out from under her when Demi Lee Nell Peters was crowned Miss Universe 2017 she became internationally known when she was given the title Miss Tim tibo in 2020 she became the Envy of young women across America it's easy to look at this beauty queen speaker and Champion for needy children and think her life is a fairy tale yet she's candid about her struggles misplaced identity the painful loss of her sister even a narrow escape from carjackers who tried to kidnap her with her new book a crown that lasts Demi Lee offers an insightful look at true IDE idty versus whatever labels one has please welcome to the 700 Club Demi Lee TBO it's wonderful to have you here so great to be here with you Terry and I I think you understand the message of the crown a little bit better than maybe most yeah well you know it is such a such an interesting thing I remember of course the year is so wonderful and you're so provided for in every way people telling you where to be when to be there somebody actually making all the arrangements for that and then just as quickly as that Crown is placed on your head bam it's over I I loved your candid scenario of how you responded to that how here you were backstage waiting for somebody to tell you where do I go now what do I do now and nobody comes that's right because it's over and you know Miss Terry not not a lot of people would necessarily be able to relate to having worn a crown having been a pageant Queen for for you know argument sake but I think a lot of people can Rel to the fact that we root our worth our value and maybe something that didn't last something that was temporary and that really is what this book is about is about how we can root our identity in something maybe someone more specifically um that is never changing that is fixed that's always trustworthy and that's bigger than ourselves and it takes a while for us to get there because we always think we know what it's going to take to make us feel fulfilled happy like we've we've got some purpose in but it can be ripped away when it's of our making you're talking about an identity of Eternal significance and you found that in the Lord but it was a journey to all of that why do you think so many of us struggle with identity sometimes people put that identity on us it's not even something we choose yeah my subtitle of my book is you are not your label yes and you know I think of the labels that people put on me that I didn't like wearing but I also I'm reminded of the labels that I've liked to wear that has been Stripped Away for instance my Miss Universe label or sash rather was one that I enjoyed wearing right and when those labels fall away you know it leaves us feeling well what do I have to show up now uh you know for now now that everything I worked for everything that I showed up for every single day is no longer there and what I had to realize was as long as I root my confidence in myself I'm going to be let feeling that emptiness over and over and over again through my life the word confidence just means to have full trust and if I say I have full trust in myself well where does that leave me but if I change that self to God confidence and rely on his promises not only that he's made but that he has kept throughout eternity that is when we can really be our true self have a sustainable identity it's so interesting to me how God uses it all The Good The Bad and The Ugly know and I think of how your family was so challenged by the birth of your sister who had pronounced her condition I how do you say that F was born with um severe special needs and disabilities just say she was born with OS sarabellum and um there were multiple complications that came with that um but fr's life she we were 10 years apart as you can see on that picture um fr's life was so significant and so special and M I don't think that we would fully know the extent of the purpose that her life has had until one day you know I get to meet my maker and and be with her again um that was a hard thing for me to accept it was hard for me as a teenager especially to work through you know Lord why is this happening to my sister why can she not be healed and I was questioning the Lord over and over and over again it rattled my faith and I had to realize well I'm going to continue having all of these questions for the rest of my life I need to make a change and instead of saying God why I am going to ask you Lord where where are you in this situation show me and we serve a kind loving generous gracious father and he is going to show us where he is when we seek him well he really did that for you because out of in my mind I mean God KN already knew you and Tim were going to be together Tim has a heart for for young people especially for people in general who have special needs so here you were with a heart for that because of your sister he has a heart for that the two of you come together and now you're serving into the lives of people who struggle with these issues God God is so gracious and how he uses it I want to talk to you about the very frightening car jacking thing that you went through because I'm reading that in the book and I'm thinking oh my goodness what would I have done if that happened to me you're driving you're stuck in traffic three men come out of the blue one points a gun at you through the windshield and you got out of the car talk about what happened yeah I I write about that whole incident pretty extensively in my book um but the long and the short of the situation is I was able to escape that situation thankfully unharmed but the most terrifying part of that story was not necessarily the gun pointed to my head which you would think would be the case but thinking back now the most terrifying part was running up a big Avenue you know broad daylight half 5 in the afternoon and knocking on window after window people had their windows open they could hear what I was saying and nobody would stop to help me that's unbelievable that was terrifying you know looking over my shoulder not knowing if I'm being chased down being shot in the back not knowing what my perpetrators um you know plan was idea was that was terrifying and misser a young woman she was 19 years old stopped eventually and helped me and all she had was this little beat up old little car so old that she had to lean over and unlock the little car me in and I don't know if you know this term but I think so easy we can say oh don't be that girl you know don't make a scene don't make a fuss but she taught me to actually go and be that girl for women around the world and the ripple effect of goodness that has come from her simple Act of obedience and the work my husband and I get to do together today is um just such an honor and I'm so grateful for that talk about what you and Tim are doing today yeah our gosh our our heart is first and foremost to love God and to serve people and to love people I heard a a quote recently it said you know the best way to love God is to serve God and to serve him is to to serve others um through the tempo Foundation my husband and I are so honored to be able to serve people around the world um to provide faith hope and love in their deepest darkest hour of need and we do that through a multitude of of ways um we have a a really big heart for people with special needs that's how Tim and I met um was through night to shine which is a worldwide celebration we all love that it's our favorite night of the year and so my so you know my he invited my sister to prom and not me so that's how we met through night sh moved him you know hey funny story I I didn't know football growing up because I'm from South Africa right we watch rugby there and they don't wear pads or or helness all that that protects um and so but I I didn't know Tim I know his name but I knew he was the night to shine guy so that's how I first knew him was the night to shine guy and how wonderful that you're now both doing things that God is leading you in and making a difference I want to mention to people Demi that your book is available wherever books are sold and I I love the subtitle you are not your label the title is a crown that lasts because that's what God offers each and every one of us and um you'll enjoy reading Demi's story I highly recommend the book Thank you so much you so much you with us wonderful to meet you in person and thank you for all you're doing you and Tim both yeah