Where there is tragedy and loss, God can still give hope and abundant life. {Tweet this} I thought about that as I watched the movie, 23 Blast. It’s the true story of a boy who plays football in a small Kentucky town where game time looks like something you’d see in Friday Night Lights. The town loves football. The boy loves football. And the boy’s parents love watching him pursue his passion.
Then, in a 24-hour span, the boy, now in high school, goes blind. When I saw what his mother and father experienced, it made me think of how I felt when we learned about my daughter Emily’s illness:
When you discover your child has a life-threatening illness, you grieve for the loss of the life you envisioned for your child. Knowing they will be bound to a schedule of medication, a body that responds differently to life, and a more high-risk future is painful to take in.
But the boy’s story doesn’t end there. He overcomes in a big way. He plays high school football — even with his blindness! After graduation, he gets his Ph.D.
I think his parents might feel as I do, as I wrote about before…
After a time, a long time, my pain eased as I witnessed my amazing child cope and develop a discipline I never imagined possible.
Take your children to see this movie. They’ll love the football action. They’ll learn about friendship and perseverance. They’ll see that where there is tragedy and loss, God can give hope and abundant life.
