Blindsided

Jeremiah 11:18-20

This morning's thoughts will be short and sweet (we hope). When I read this morning's passage I immediately thought about the movie "The Blind Side". In that movie a young man who is living in poverty without any sort of adult supervision is taken in by a well-to-do family. This young man turns out to have an incredible talent for football and with the help of his coaches, teachers, and the love of a family who took him in he excels in his sport through high school, onto college, and into the NFL.

What I like best about this movie is how the young man was struggling with understanding the sport. He was relying solely on his size and not developing the skills which would eventually catapult him to greatness. His coaches, teachers, mentors, and friends just couldn't help him learn the strategies of football and where his role as an offensive lineman was.

 Enter his "adopted mom" who takes him aside one day and says these words. "Your job is to protect the quarterback's blind side. He depends on you to protect him from the things he cannot see." (Maybe I'm paraphrasing, but it's close enough.) The young man finally understands what is expected of him and becomes one of the best players to play the game of football.

This is what Jeremiah is saying to me this morning. Yes, bad things come our way. These things can completely interrupt our lives in ways we may not understand. We are blessed, though, to have a God who is watching our blind side. We have a God who protects us from the things we cannot see and gives us the gifts we can develop to eventually be the best in the game we play everyday; life.

Now, let's get out there and begin living!