PERSEVERANCE and BLESSINGS!
On Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 Josh and I shared our life-story of perseverance with the students at Cross Creek Charter Academy where I work. We gladly accepted the invitation to speak last November, but as the date grew closer we started to wonder why we had agreed to speak to a group of over 700 people. Josh and I would rather be a part of the audience than be the main event.
Perseverance was the Moral Focus word of the month at Cross Creek and we knew we could share how we persevered through Josh's paralysis, his emotions, and how it effected the family. We started out by painting a picture of Josh's very active life before the accident. Then I related the details of the accident, hospital and Mary Fee Bed Rehabilitation hospital stays, and the difficult circumstances when Josh couldn't go home to a house that needed to be modified for him. We both shared how we persevered through all of that.
I could not believe the overwhelming responses. Several parents came up to me and said that our story has inspired their children. Their children couldn't stop talking about Josh that evening. I think they were excited about Josh's basketball skills (dribbling and spinning the ball on his finger). Even teachers were inspired as well. Now I know why God had us say "yes" last November to speak at this assembly. When you learn something, I feel that we are obligated to share it, especially when it can help others. And sometimes we have to come out of our comfort zone to do it.
I am also amazed at how our everyday "do-what-needed-to-be-done" actions turned out to be so inspiring. We took things one day at a time and did what needed to be done that day. We just wanted to make it through the ordeal. We didn't want to be destroyed by it. That's just a matter of survival, I guess. But I also didn't want Satan to win. He would have loved to see us fail. We failed many days, and even months at a time, but we got back up and kept going. We got back up because we didn't like it down there. We knew we had to get back on track and beat this thing.
Josh's determination to walk is awesome! He loved to be active before the accident and now, that love has kept him going. He knows he needs to keep busy with the things he likes so he doesn't get depressed about it all. Josh loved staying physically fit before and that desire is now helping him work hard toward his goal of walking. He has physical therapy three times a week for three hours each. Since he loves working out, this schedule seems like FUN to him. I don't think I would feel the same desire to work that hard. Josh is young and full of energy. Josh is just doing what he needs to do to get back to a "normal" life and it just surprises us that people are inspired by that. We just feel that everyone would do the same, so what is the big deal! But I guess it must be a big deal.
I truly feel that God is using this bad situation for so much good. God gets all the credit for our perseverance and for the guts it took to talk to a gym-full of students, teachers, and parents. I KNOW I couldn't have done that on my own! It turned out to be a powerful message and God wanted it heard.
Praise God from whom all bessings flow!
Sue
About Me
- Sue Holt
- We have 5 children and 5 grandchildren with one on the way. Eric and I were married in 1984 and are still together today. We met in church and raised our kids in that same church, We are still very involved at this same church. God has been there for us through many ups and downs in our family life. We have struggled with children with ADD, hyperactivity, strong wills, addictions, and one that became paralyzed at the age of 15 due to a car-pedestrian accident...he was the pedestrian. Eric and I have had to work through relationship issues (as do most couples), job loss, and financial problems. Even though we are believers, that doesn't mean we will never have problems. We just know that God is there for us through these struggles. There has been a lot of growth through these times.
