Joey lost his legs at 24 years old. He was in peak physical condition and given state-of-the-art medical treatment. Yet, folks look at him in awe as he stands on prosthetics and travels the country independently, usually with a genuine smile, and say, “I don’t know how you stay so positive after you lost your legs.” To which he sometimes responds, “Well, don’t ever get negative, since you have yours.” The point here is that one aspect of adversity doesn’t get to define him. Yes, he lost his legs, but he hasn’t had cancer, he hasn’t filed bankruptcy, lost a child, or gone through a divorce. But all those things are present in this room, and all of you are here today with the opportunity to celebrate, work, give, love. You have all gone through every type of adversity life has thrown at you, and here you are. Remember what you are capable of, remember how you got here.
We are all late for something we don’t want to be late to - a meeting, a flight, attending church, having dinner, or going to a game. When we’re stuck in traffic and we see the clock running against us, and it feels like we have no control, we have a choice – an important one. We can focus on the seconds passing by, imagine the heartache and frustration, embarrassment, and expense, of what will come once we arrive. Or maybe we take a breath. tune our speakers to our favorite song, adjust the A/C to our favorite temperature, and use that opportunity to recognize the worst thing about our lives, in that moment, is that we must be entertained and comfortable longer than we meant to be. That’s perspective. Circumstances are the same, but the journey and even outcome are up to us.
When Joey was injured in 2010, he had a 1-year-old son he had met once. He was a brother, a son, and he had just reconnected with his high school sweetheart who’s now his wife. It was his son’s choice to have a dad with amputated legs. But he still needed it. He was still responsible for throwing a ball, changing diapers, taking him to the park, and teaching him to drive. These things were going to be difficult for him, but he had the gift, the blessing of being the one responsible for teaching him these things. His responsibility to him reminded him how needed he was, how important he was and how service through sacrifice doesn’t just happen on a battlefield. It happens in all our lives, daily.
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