Learning To Live With It

From where I sit today I am forced to look at life from a place I never expected or wanted to be; totally paralyzed from the shoulders down, sitting in a chair that I drive by blowing and sucking in a straw, typing this book one letter at a time with a mouth stick. I never wanted to be here. I never wanted to be in a wheelchair and I never wanted to be a writer. Nevertheless, here I sit typing, because of one seemingly small decision to dive off a boat dock on July 15, 1991, at the age of 19.

Shortly after my accident, I would have to make another choice that also altered the course of my life. Do I accept my unwanted circumstances?

Acceptance was not a quick, easy process. God used many truths, people and experiences to teach me some big life lessons. The way He used little people was nothing short of miraculous.

From a 5th grader named Miranda I learned to look beyond my limitations for things I could do instead of focusing on all the things I could not do. Through a 2nd grader named Alicia I saw that giving what I have to give is more important than what I have to give. Sierra’s out of control ride on my wheelchair ended up being the incident God used to teach me the key to trusting Him. While my 3 year old brother’s response to a bird pooping on my shoulder, challenged me to not only accept my paralysis, but really learn to “live with it.”