Unstoppable (14 page)

You don’t have to be a spiritual person to put faith into action, but as a Christian, I have to say that knowing God is strong when I am weak gives me great relief and tremendous peace and joy. I can only wish, however, that I had the levels of joy expressed by my friend Garry Phelps who was born with Down syndrome. He is now twenty-five years old and one of the most inspiring people I know.

One day Garry heard some family friends talking about a newborn child who’d just been diagnosed with Down syndrome too. One of them wasn’t aware Garry was listening when it was said, “Oh, that’s so sad.”

Garry jumped up from his chair and said, “Well, I think it’s great!”

“Why do you say that, Garry?” the friend asked. “What is Down syndrome to you?”

“All Down syndrome means is that you love everybody and you never, ever hurt anybody!” Garry replied.

My friend has found the sweet spot in his affliction and in his life. Those with Down syndrome are said to have impaired mental capacity, yet I have to say that Garry may be wiser than many of us. He chooses to focus on the blessings of his burden and to give the rest up to God.

Garry leads a full and active life, writing, singing, and recording songs and exercising each day. I’ve never seen him “down” in any way. He loves Jesus without any doubt and with all his heart, and that is easily apparent in his beautiful and sincere prayers.

Like most people with disabilities or serious health problems, I went through a long period when I questioned why a loving God would place such a burden upon me. It’s a natural question and an important one. If God loves each of us, why would He allow anyone to be stricken with painful, life-threatening, and even fatal illnesses and diseases? Why would He allow so many, especially children, to suffer? Taking it further: how could a God who loves all His creations allow tragedies like terrible automobile accidents, earthquakes, tsunamis, and wars that maim and kill people? What about bombings, shootings, stabbings, violent assaults, and other grievous events that are all too common?

I asked those questions as a boy trying to understand God’s ways, and I’ve been asked it many times by others seeking guidance. My lack of limbs draws others with physical disabilities to me, and many of them inquire
how I’ve resolved those questions. Often they have far greater challenges than mine, such as cystic fibrosis, cancer, paralysis, and blindness. Most are looking for my answer to the “Why me?” question, but in some cases, they offer their own answers. I received an e-mail from a young man I’ll call Jason, who had barely survived a terrible car accident.

He was riding in a car driven by a family member who lost control and struck the center median, flipping the car over. Jason’s seat belt had been broken already, so he was thrown from the car. His skull was cracked, and his brain was damaged in four areas. He had some good fortune in that there was an emergency vehicle nearby. The paramedics saw his accident and immediately came to help. Jason had to have surgery to remove a section of his skull because his brain was swelling. He was in a coma for two weeks. When he awoke, the right side of his body was paralyzed, and he had difficulty speaking and smelling. A month into his recovery, his doctors discovered that Jason had broken his nose and collarbone. He spent another month in the hospital. He recovered his ability to speak, but his right side remained paralyzed and he had other challenges.

“I was afraid at first that no one would ever treat me the same,” he said. “But then I had this sense that God was with me and that I would be okay. Ever since then my opinion about my injury has changed one hundred percent. I used to ask,
Why me? Why me?
But now I say, ‘Why not me?’ ”

People have asked Jason if he still believes in God after so many bad things happened to him. “My reply is that God kept me alive. How could I not believe in Him?”

I’m with Jason. I don’t believe God causes us to be hurt, sick, or to suffer a loss. But I do believe that God finds ways for us to use bad things for a good purpose. In Jason’s case God kept him alive and strengthened him spiritually. Jason now places more value on every day of his life.

The Bible says suffering comes from Adam and Eve. We all have sin because of them. When Adam and Eve fled the Garden of Eden, they had fallen into sin and were banished from the supernatural world to the natural world. Because of their sin, they and all their ancestors—including you and me—were separated from God’s kingdom. So while we seek eternal life through God in heaven, we first have to go through a temporary life in the natural world to get there. Still, while we are in the natural world, we should live with purpose so that God can bring the good out of even bad situations.

This is a difficult concept to master with logical thinking. A positive attitude is helpful, but it takes more than that to deal with a major medical issue. You need the love of your family and friends. And Christians can draw upon the incredible power of the Holy Spirit that transforms us from the inside out. As bad as your injury, illness, or disability may be, you can allow God to make something beautiful out of it. Personally, I can’t make beauty out of pain and suffering, but in His mercy and power and greatness, God can.

God loves us just as parents love their children. Sometimes a parent intercedes when a child is hurting. Sometimes, though, a parent might not step in because the child needs to learn a lesson, figure something out, or pay more attention to the parent. There are even other times when a parent might step in to end a child’s
happiness
because of danger or long-term threat—such as when a child is happily playing with matches or when a teen is enthralled with a boyfriend or girlfriend who is a negative influence.

God loves us and is not a hands-off Father. Thanks to our original ancestors, Adam and Eve, and their disobedience in the Garden of Eden, God’s law is God’s law. The crime of sin was committed, and the punishment was eternal separation from God. But that is not why He created us.
In the Old Testament you see animal offerings given as atonement for sin. Then God sent down His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of men and women on earth so that someday we can all return to God’s side in heaven.

Our Creator always acts out of love and with the desire to bring us to Him for eternity. The Bible says the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

Sometimes God gives us His blessings. At other times, if He feels we need it, He may allow a challenge or a setback or something even worse into our lives to remind us to stay close to Him or to remind others through our suffering.

Yet there are also many loyal and devout Christians who suffer on this earth. What’s up with that? I wish I had all the answers, but I don’t. Some say that God may bring challenges into our lives to teach us humility, as in the case of Paul, the former persecutor of Christians, who wrote that when he became popular as an evangelist, God put a thorn in his flesh “to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” But Paul noted that God also gave him the grace to bear that burden—something we can all hope for.

“Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope,” he wrote.

I’ve always believed that God will put us through challenges to strengthen us. In recent years researchers in health psychology have found support for this in studies of people who’ve experienced severe stress and trauma across a wide range, from life-threatening illnesses to catastrophic events to
the loss of loved ones. While you often hear about posttraumatic stress, psychologists have also found that those who deal successfully with health challenges can experience posttraumatic or adversarial
growth
.

Researchers found that many who successfully deal with physical adversity actually grow in positive ways:

The Bible’s poster child for adversarial growth is Job. Satan took everything Job had, not only his land and possessions, but also his children and his health. Even so, Job persevered. In fact, he remained faithful to God, and in return God eventually gave him double what he had lost.

I believe there is yet another benefit that can come of major disabilities and health challenges. I think God allows some of us to be afflicted so that we can comfort others just as God has comforted us. This explanation particularly makes sense to me because I have experienced the truth of it time after time after time.

I don’t claim to always understand God’s plan. I do know that heaven will not be like this temporary life we are living. But it can be difficult to have certainty when God does something that seems harsh or unfair. You have to take comfort and strength from Him. You can make the decision to give the situation to God by putting in a request for His help.

The Bible says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Now, it may be impossible not to be anxious when dealing with
illness, disabilities, or other life-threatening challenges, but you can find peace by putting things in God’s hands. He can give you strength one day at a time, whether you need it for your own challenges or because you are grieving for someone else.

Know that whatever happens, there is no sickness or disease or death in the next life, but there has to be an end to all of us on earth. God’s plan is not to keep us here to suffer and die; He wants us to be with Him in heaven forever.

Still, while we are here in our temporary lives, we have a beautiful opportunity to know God and to share His love with others who don’t yet know that Jesus Christ died for their sins. While eternal life in heaven will be great, having a relationship with God while we are on earth is a tremendous opportunity.

Whatever circumstances you face, God will use you for His purposes. It may be years before you understand what that purpose might be. In some cases you may never know the full extent of His plans or why He allows some things to happen to you. That’s why it is necessary to put your faith in action by knowing God is with you. Even though bad things may happen, they do not change the fact that He loves you.

I’m not advising anyone to give up, of course. Miracles can occur. I’ve seen many myself, and people often share their own with me. John sent this inspiring story of his miracle, which also offers testimony to his faith in action:

All our names and numbers are in the Book of Life. We just don’t know when God will decide to take us home to be with Him. Love one
another as if it’s your last day on this earth. Live life to the fullest and appreciate every day that you wake up and take a breath.

John’s story and many others like it that I’ve heard are proof miracles can happen. That is why I still keep a pair of shoes in my closet—just in case a miracle comes my way. You put faith into action by putting it in God’s hands and presenting your request and praying for miracles, but if a miracle doesn’t come, you can still be a light shining on earth for others. You can also do everything you can to learn more about God and by surrendering to Him.

Can God heal you? Yes, and that may be His plan. Or maybe it isn’t. It is impossible to know, so walk in faith every day, knowing that God knows best. I have not received the miracle of arms and legs that I’ve sought, but I’ve experienced the miraculous joy and peace and trust of faith. That is more of a miracle than an illness cured. After all, you can be healed of cancer and still be miserable, taking everything in life for granted. By faith today I honestly have the joy of seeing lives transformed. This is
huge
! You may rejoice that you have limbs, but each day I rejoice that I do not.

The greatest miracle is a transformation from the inside out. So believe that a miracle will come, but know that even if it doesn’t, God has a plan for you. The greatest purpose is to know God as a friend and to have the blessing of going home to heaven where no pain, no sickness, no hardship will ever find you.