By now, most of America knows the story of Michael Oher, the homeless teen who went on to become an NFL football player all because a family that didn't even know him, cared enough about his situation to help him. They didn't do it for their glory. Maybe they didn't even do it for God's, but they did it. They did it because to them, it felt like the right thing to do. Michael slept in his first bed at the age of 17. Can you imagine not having a bed to sleep on? I can.
During our homeless years, my kids and I slept where we could. Back when churches had an open door policy, we slept on church pews. I worked the carnivals when I could. This meant that while the rides were set up, we were able to sleep in the empty trailers. We slept in public restrooms; train stations; on strange peoples couches; in the woods when it was warm enough to do so. Sometimes we were lucky enough to have a tent. Mostly we slept in a car.
My youngest who was born in the streets was 3 the first time he felt a mattress underneath him. Not because I didn't want to give him one. If it wasn't in the budget to have a roof over our heads it wasn't in the budget to buy a bed. Sometimes it wasn't even in the budget to buy food.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because there are more than one and a half million kids under the age of 18 who don't have a bed in any given year. Many, like Michael Oher, have never had one. I am telling you this because there are kids out there who need you to be Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy.
They were the change.
www.theblindsidemovie.com
www.change-for-life.org
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHCXjBZKmMM
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