I love a good sports movie, particularly a true story. That's why I loved the 2009 movie The Blind Side.
The Blind Side tells the story of Michael Oher. Michael had a very difficult childhood. His mother was addicted to drugs and unable to look after him. He never knew his father and as a young boy he was made a ward of the State. Michael would run away from his foster carers looking for his mother and this meant he would often live on the streets. Where he had hardly any money, little food, few clothes and no permanent shelter.
Imagine living on the streets as a child. Never knowing where your next meal was coming from, never sleeping in a bed, never knowing who to trust.
Then everything changed for Michael Oher after he met Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. With their teenage daughter and young son, they took Michael into their home and made him part of their family. They met all his needs – acceptance, security, love. He was treated like their own son. They paid for a tutor to help him with his school work and laid the platform for him to become a successful professional footballer.
The movie has a real feel-good factor to it. In some ways it represents what Jesus has done for us. That we are all lost. That we can be doing the best we can with what we have, but that Christ has so much more for us if we only accept him. That if we put down our pride and ask him for help, he will welcome us into his family. That he is overjoyed when we come to him. That he showers us with his love, forgiveness and security, and all the blessings that being part of his family brings!
But hold on. There is a new chapter to the Michael Oher story. Michael has now sued the Tuohy family. He alleges that he was duped into believing he was adopted but in fact he just signed over conservatorship to the Tuohys. This means they were able to use his name to make the movie and other decisions about his life which they profited from. They made millions out of his out name and he got absolutely nothing. He is suing to overturn the conservatorship agreement and for the Tuohy's to give him his share of the money they have made from his story, and also to pay him punitive damages for the hurt they have caused him.
In response, the Tuohy's lawyers said their clients have divided all the money they made from Michael's story with him and the other family members equally. The family's embracing of Michael over the last twenty years has been out of their concern for him and unconditional love of him. There has never been any desire to obtain financial gain from him.
Movies love a happy ending. But happy endings don't necessarily reflect ongoing life.
I mean we all want the guy and the girl to get together at the end of the movie. But in reality, we all know that getting together is not the end of the story. Living together creates tensions and difficulties that have to be worked through.
Or in The Blind Side, we want Michael to become an NFL star. He does, but it appears that is not the end of the story. He now feels so much hurt/anger towards (his) family, that he has initiated legal proceedings against them for all the world to see.
When we become a Christian, we are welcomed into Christ's family. We are indeed blessed with acceptance, security, forgiveness and love. God looks after us, he has our back. We do not need to be anxious or fearful about anything anymore.
Yet we all know that to walk the Christian path does not always bring great joy. There are hard times along the road to eternal life. Things go wrong for no apparent reason. We can become disillusioned with our pain. We are tempted to turn our back on God and revert to relying upon ourselves. Why would God allow us to suffer like this? It just doesn't make any sense if we are really part of his family.
It's only natural to feel hurt and anger towards God for appearing to abandon us and allowing our pain/hurt to continue.
Jesus says in John 16:33 in this world you will have trouble. Being a Christian does not make you immune from trouble. Things will go wrong, you won't live a perfect life. Life will seem unfair at times.
But Jesus also says; Take heart, I overcome the world. Jesus won't abandon you in your struggles. He controls the future so you don't have to worry about it. He is always with you and he will give you his peace. There are better times ahead, you just have to hold on.
If you are going through hard times, hold on! No matter how much you are hurting; don't blame Jesus, don't reject Jesus, don't give up on Jesus. You are part of his family and that will never change.
Go with God.
Peter O'Sullivan
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