They say the Lord works in mysterious ways, that's certainly true for Katie and Dalton Prager. At the age of 18, the two became friends and bonded over Facebook learning they had something in common- they both had cystic fibrosis. Despite knowing the risk involved, a romance blossoms. Two years later, the couple married. But this story doesn't have fairy tale ending you'd expect. While Katie did undergo a lung transplant, it has failed and now she has entered hospice. She remains positive focusing on quality of life now rather than quantity. Her husband plans on being transferred to a hospital closer to her in Kentucky
Since my dad wrote about the "unseen" Olympics last week, it is with great pleasure that I highlight the disabled athletes representing their country in the Paralympics starting tonight. I hope you will join me in listening to their courageous stories; hopefully this will create a new understanding for what people with disabilities encounter on a daily basis.
You may
recall that I sometimes have guests write posts for this blog; that way you are
able to my disability from a different perspective than my own. For instance, a
while back my dad shared the impact assistive technology has had on creating a
sense of independence in my life;. This time, though, he shares a more personal
side-comparing my struggles (and those of the disabled community) to that of
the Olympics! I think you will find it a interesting comparison...
Without further
ado..
For the past
two weeks Debbie and I have watched a few Olympic events together, but none
were as inspiring as the nights we watched swimmer Katie Ledecky win in an individual
event, and then in a team
event. She was beaming with a wonderful smile and was so happy to have won the
gold medal. And, watching her, we were
very happy for her, too. Her hard work, dedication to practice, and commitment
to a goal were rewarded – in public, with the admiration of many watching around
the world. These events are for the top competitors in the entire world, and at
the point in time of those Olympic events, there was only one “best” in the
world, and she was the gold medal winner. It must be intensely gratifying to receive
the accolades on such an occasion!
As I thought
about these exciting events, I thought about another unseen Olympic competition-
on that also requires dedication, persistence, and endurance in the face of
challenges on a daily basis. But there is no massive audience, no cheering and
little recognition for the effort. This
competition is not for the best physical athletes, but instead for those who
are physically disabled.
I think of
my daughter, Debbie, whose completion is with discouragement and despair. Her
Olympic challenge is not for a week, but for a lifetime. The event she competes
in is to live her life trusting in the love of a faithful Heavenly Father, even
in the presence of her quadriplegic condition, enduring the physical and social
trials of her life. I watch her
complete and win on a daily basis.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the athletes
of his day, who competed in biennial games near Corinth to win a wreath made of
pine boughs. He asked them, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all
run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we
for an imperishable crown. (I Cor. 9:24-25)
The
unseen Olympic events that Debbie and all believers compete in are the trials
of life that test our faith in the unique circumstances of each of our lives.
Debbie, in her own special way, faces sever physical limitations that render
her immobile, and unable to freely use her hands to care for herself of enjoy
eating a meal by herself. The other challenges of cerebral palsy are nagging
inabilities, discomforts and pain. In spite of this, her daily contest is to
trust her life into the hands of God’s grace. She seeks to “press toward the goal for the
prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:24). That is,
to glorify God by revealing Christ’s character in her life – a yielded spirit
in the presence of a significant and very visible adversity in life. We each face
adversities in the circumstances of our life, and we do not compete in the
special “Swim Lanes” where Debbie competes. But we each face the challenge to
live for Christ and “press toward the goal”.
Yes,
Debbie is a winner in the unseen Olympics in her own right – and the unseen
audience is her Lord and Savior. She smiles, just like Katie Ledecky, as the
Lord gives her his inner peace to know of His love.
Occasionally, I will post music videos on this blog meant to inspire and encourage you. This week, I would like to highlight music from Lauren Daigle's album How Can It Be Although a majority of the songs have a upbeat tempo, the themes center around the same topic- keeping our minds on Christ and remembering His character even in the midst of trials. My favorite happens to be the track entitled "Trust In You"; I hope you find it as encouraging as I do.
Lyrics for Lauren Daigle's Trust In You
Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You see
I’ve tried to win this war I confess
My hands are weary I need Your rest
Mighty Warrior, King of the fight
No matter what I face, You’re by my side
When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!
Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen
So, in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less
When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!
You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood
When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!
I will trust in You!
I will trust in You!
I will trust in You!
Our church has spent the last several weeks studying
Philippians. In this book, the disciple Paul is writing to the church of
Philippi from prison; despite his circumstances, his outlook is quite positive.
Why? Because Paul is keeping his eyes fixed on Jesus. He is certain that no
matter what is happening God is in control and is taking care of everything! He
is not afraid of what the future holds, instead, he believes the work of Jesus
will continue with or without him. Philippians 1:6 says, "For I am confident
of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until
the day of Jesus Christ."
Paul reminds us that this
does not happen overnight, rather it is an ongoing process of spiritual growth.
It begins with God's justifying work of the cross, where he paid the ultimate
price for all our sins. Once we accept this free gift of salvation, it is then
that the transformation takes place.. Although we are sanctified or "set
apart" by the work God accomplished on the cross, it is the circumstances
of our lives that develop through character and faith. Philippians 2: 12 -13:
"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my
presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who worksin you to will and to act in order
to fulfill his good purpose."
In
today's world, we act as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. If we are truly walking
by faith, our lives serve as beacons of hope to those around us. That does not our
lives will be perfect; instead we will point the way to someone who is! Paul
continues in verse 14-18, saying " Do everything without grumbling or arguing,so
that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without
fault in a warped and crooked generation.”] Then you will shine
among them like stars in the sky as you hold
firmly to the word of life poured out like a drink offering on the
sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with
all of you. So you too should be glad and
rejoice with me.
With that thought in mind, I came across the following song by Matthew West. It is called "Mended"
It's hard to believe it's been four months since my last post. During that time, I've had Botox for a second time, continued with therapy, and enjoyed the rest of my summer.The therapy went well; I succeeded in getting enough extension in my left arm to get a Seabo Stretch device. This allows me to keep my arm stretched for extended periods of time without the assistance of someone. Right now, I am up to three hours a day in the splint. The only downside being, I am limited on how much I can do while I'm in the device. Ultimately, the goal is to start wearing the device at night.
Sadly, this treatment for CP (like many others) is only temporary. It has to be repeated every three to six months in order to maintain elasticity and stretch of the muscles.. That leaves me with the age old question: What's Next? At this point, I really don't know. I just know I don't plan on making Botox a routine event on my schedule. I had hoped that this treatment would be maintainable over time but as my doctor puts it my flexibility is like that of a rubber band- the muscles can be stretched, but the reality is they will always return to its bent position (unless they are constantly stretched). Otherwise, surgery may be my only option.
Still, I am doing my best to live a life without limits. Just like the young adult cast of the series "Born This Way". Season 2 of the series airs Wednesdays at 10 PM
I'm sorry it's been two weeks since my last post; but here is a bit of encouragement to get your started out right...
Meet Tim Harris the first person with down syndrome to own his own restaurant. He lives in Albuquerque New Mexico and has been in business for five years. In a strange turn of events, though, he has decided to close down in pursuit of a new dream- a life with his girlfriend,Tiffani Johnson. The two met at Down Syndrome convention.
To read more about this story,
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/down-syndrome-couple-gets-their-happily-ever-after/
My name is Debbie. I am a 40-year-old with big dreams and hopes for the future. Fresh out of college, I hope to use my knowledge and communication skills to inspire others to pursue their dreams no matter what. I am blessed to be living in a country where opportunities are endless; but sometimes as a disabled person, society puts limitations on us. I am here to push past the stereotypes, and allow people to see me as the unique individual than I am! You can contact
me anytime if you have any questions at: rollinDebbie70@gmail.com (yes I did recently change it)
