I am back from a great Thanksgiving holiday and a week with my family. One of the things we did was go and see the Blindside, the story of Michael Oher and his adoption by an upperclass family in Memphis. I thought it did a great job of touching on a number of things-
1. The reality of poverty in our own backyard.
2. The fact that many of us don’t realize there are kids and families living on the street.
3. The hopelessness and danger of poverty and homelessness.
4. The joy of sharing with those in need and how it transforms both the giver and the receiver.
5. The power of adoption.
6. The importance of family.
7. The need for racial reconciliation.
It has been awhile since I laughed and cried and was moved so deeply by one movie. I understand it is a very unique situation and story but it does point us to the need to consider the many other kids (130,000 in the US!) like Michael Oher who may not be superstars but have just as much potential in a thousand other areas. Their stories may not be as spectacular or glorious but their God-given life is spectacular in an of itself and not one of them should be without family.
Here is a video of the real Tuohy family. You can also read the book The Blind Side by Michael Lewis, or watch the trailer for the film starring Sandra Bullock, at the official site.
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