A Changed Life
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a story about Sawyer.
Now, this young man served as a Cause 4 Life intern with us a few summers ago. And there was a time when he wasn’t excited about helping people with disabilities. At 16 years of age, Sawyer was a cocky, completely self-absorbed, girl-crazy teenager; an elite swimmer; and although he tested borderline genius, he could not have cared less about academics. Everything came so easy to him, so he was bored with school. All that changed one evening in October of 2012, when Sawyer received a huge blow to the left temple during a match with the local YMCA swim team. It knocked Sawyer out and gave him his first concussion. This utterly rocked this young man’s world, reduced his pride, and opened his eyes to how fragile life can be. Two months later, Sawyer felt the Lord tugging at his heart, and he surrendered his life to Jesus.
A short time later, he suffered another devastating concussion while getting an MRI on his shoulder for a swimming injury. His attending nurse had left him for a moment. And it happened to be an instant when the dye they injected caused Sawyer to black out. And he slid off the table and struck his head on the wall. That’s when Sawyer’s life was forever changed. It became a “new normal” of constant black-outs, headaches, loss of balance and so much more. For the next five years, Sawyer leaned completely on Jesus as his anchor. And it is what led him to Joni and Friends and our Cause 4 Life internship program. He absolutely loved his time with us as he served young people with disabilities in Haiti, and at one of our Family Retreats. When he finished his internship, he went home to his family and announced that he wanted to become an occupational therapist. Since his internship, Sawyer has gone on two Wheels for the World outreaches to Poland and Romania, where he has honed his skills fitting disabled people to wheelchairs.
Not long ago, I got the sweetest email from Sawyer’s mother. She told me how, before his concussions, Sawyer was heading down the wrong path. But, since his internship, this young man has earned his degree at Liberty University and can’t wait to serve as an occupational therapist. He is one young guy who wants to make a difference for Christ among the world’s disabled. In fact, Sawyer told his mother, he said, “Mom, I know what it’s like to be rejected, to be judged, to be in pain and to struggle to just get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. I want to let people with disabilities know that they are created in God’s image just like me, with all my concussions and my traumatic brain problems.”
This being Brain Injury Awareness Month, I can’t think of a more fitting story than Sawyer’s. And I am so grateful to God that his time as an intern with Joni and Friends gave him such clear direction. So, friend, if you know a college-aged person – could be able-bodied, disabled, as long as they have a heart for serving those with disabilities – if you know somebody who would benefit from serving in our Cause 4 Life internships, we’ll soon be posting our summer internship schedule. So, visit our radio page for more details, and while you’re there, pick up your free gift, our booklet called “A New Normal.” Because when it comes to injuries like Sawyer’s, sometimes that new normal will lead you to a brand-new adventure. See for yourself at joniradio.org, where we love sharing the hope of Christ through every hardship. God bless you today and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends.
© Joni and Friends
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A New Normal
Life can change in an instant. A car accident. A medical diagnosis. Loss of a job. How can you survive and thrive when your world is shattered? “A New Normal” walks you through the questions you may be asking as you process a long-term trial or a devastating loss. Be encouraged that God’s mercies are new every morning. Your pain is an invitation to know the heart of Jesus and to hope in the restoration that the Lord will work on your behalf.
