Another Dose of Practical Destiny

Somewhere in this favored land--Memphis, Tennessee, to be exact-- there is lady by the name of Leigh Anne Tuohy. You may or may not know her, but you may have heard of her. About six or seven years ago, Mrs. Tuohy adopted a young man named Michael Oher. Big dude; 6'4", 310. Oher attended eleven different schools in nine years and repeated both first and second grades, to say nothing of being in and out of foster homes.

Had Mrs. Tuohy never met or adopted Michael Oher, he'd never have gone out for football at Briarcrest Christian in Memphis, nor would he have been recruited at Ole Miss, Mrs. Tuohy's alma mater. Oher would not have been able to distinguish himself on the football field with Ole Miss or with the Baltimore Ravens.

And had Michael Oher never met or accepted the love of Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family, their story would never be told in the 2006 book The Blind Side, the story would never be the subject of a film, and quite possibly, Sandra Bullock would not be finding a suitable place for her first Academy Award.

As I drifted off to sleep last night, with that knowledge, I asked myself: "Can you imagine the ramifications of a single act of love?" Think how one person's love for another, whether familial or otherwise, affects the lives of so many others. Think how the love a white Christian woman for a black man affected you, if you've read the book or seen the film (I hope to soon.). Did you cry? Did your heart open? Were you moved to love another person you weren't expected to? That's the thing about love. It just is. Love opens hearts, loosens and frees souls and destroys preconceptions and prejudices. Because Mrs. Tuohy adopted and cared for Michael Oher, all around them are improved.

Love...gotta play in order to win, you know.