The Ed Thomas Story

The Sacred Acre is the true story of Ed Thomas.  It is a story of faith, overcoming adversity, grace, forgiveness, and hope.  Ed Thomas was a high school teacher and football coach who inspired his students and his community to greatness.  In May 2008 after an EF5 tornado destroyed his town, Coach Thomas was on the front lines helping to rebuild what was lost and restore hope.  One year later he was murdered by a former player with a mental illness.  Today his legacy lives on through the people who loved him and through the inspiring message in this book. 

This story is an excellent example of an ordinary life well-lived for the glory of God.  It is about a coach who "often said that if all he taught his boys was how to play football, then he would have failed as a coach".  My eyes were opened to the devastation left in the wake of a tornado, followed by the inspiring ways people can rise up and work together to rebuild.  When adversity hits, true character is revealed.  This was certainly evident in the reactions of Coach Thomas' family after his tragic death.  They knew the man who pulled the trigger.  Yet they set an example to the community by showing grace and love to the man's family.  Ed's son, Todd, says "There is no doubt that we are in a spiritual battle on this earth.  Evil came after my dad that day, but evil did not win.  The day of the funeral...people saw a man who had finished strong, and peoples' lives were changed."  The family urges others to follow in Ed's footsteps by choosing to do what is right, working hard, and living a life of faith in relationship with God.

I love an inspiring true story.  This book has something to teach everyone, but would be especially helpful for coaches who are in a position to instill in our youth the same values that Coach Thomas lived out.  Thank you Thomas family for telling your story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.

To learn more about this story, watch here...