The Blind Side is a true story about Michael Oher, who was given an amazing opportunity to move beyond a life of homelessness.  Taken in by a family who gave him the basic necessities in life and then some, he was equipped with the skills he needed to be successful. 

This was clearly a team effort.  Collins Tuohy, their daughter of the same age, dropped out of AP classes to take the same classes as Michael in order to help him academically.  Leigh Ann Tuohy made sure Michael had the tutoring he needed and the ferocious love of a mother while telling Michael that she would never seek to replace his real mother.  Sean Junior (S.J.) took to Michael like an older brother and Sean Sr. supported his wife in her efforts to help a young man who had great potential to beat the odds.

Here’s the catch.  While Michael was given the chance to break the chains of his past, it came at a huge price.  He was not handed a different life on a silver platter.  Even though he was gifted athletically, Michael had to work exceptionally hard to overcome huge deficits including bringing a 0.6 GPA up high enough to graduate and play college football.  Michael went to tutoring starting at 6 am and continued after school until 11:30 at night.  When he felt like giving up Leigh Ann would say, “No, sit your butt down, we are not giving up.  We are going to do this.” 

Through the encouragement of his adopted family and his own tenacity, Michael’s hard labor allowed him to reap the benefits of the chance he was given.  Not only did he go on to play college ball, he graduated with a degree in criminal justice and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.   

While Michael Oher and the Tuohys have received a lot of attention about their story, this isn’t the only time someone who came from a devastating background has been given a second chance.  What makes Michael different from others who were given a similar opportunity?  

Unfortunately, many of these young people do not understand how to take advantage of the gift being given to them and end up repeating the generational cycle of poverty in every sense of the word.

Michael’s graduation from high school was huge.  He said he had never known anyone from his old neighborhood who had graduated from high school.  It was a proud moment for the Tuohys, his tutor and many others who had participated in the effort to help Michael succeed.   

Some people have questioned the motive behind the Touhys’ generosity.  The Touhys would probably say they saw a need and set out to fill a void in a boy’s life.  

There will always be people in need of a second chance.  Just because some don’t know how to receive the gift, it shouldn’t discourage us from continuing to look for ways to share what we have been given with others.  And, when opportunity comes knocking, we may find that it really is better to give than to receive, regardless of the outcome.

Copyright ©2010 First Things First