Power Made Perfect in Weakness: Leading with a Disability
Finding God in Dependence
Growing up, Lindsay never wanted to be different than other kids her age. But she knew that she was. After all, Lindsay couldn’t run on the playground, or participate in gym class—she had been in a wheelchair since she was just 18 months old.
At nine months old, Lindsay was diagnosed with Type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a condition describing muscular weakness and deterioration, affecting muscles in the legs and core most severely. Because of her condition, Lindsay’s mobility is limited, and she has never been able to walk.
Although Lindsay’s wheelchair provides her with much freedom, she has often felt the limitations of her disability. An adventurous spirit, Lindsay loves to keep moving. And she wanted more—to swing at recess… to go on a hike.
But when COVID hit, 15-year-old Lindsay experienced more constraint than ever before. Trapped in the house, she turned to the Lord. And he transformed her self-perception:
“Developing my personal relationship with him has completely changed my perspective on everything, especially surrounding my disability… he is allowing his power to be displayed even more than if I didn’t have this weakness.
It has shown me the relationship between dependence and joy, especially having to depend on God and others so much. Dependance has built a close relationship within my family. And in my dependence, the Lord has let me minister to others.”
Lindsay
A Leap of Faith and a Faithful God
When Lindsay graduated high school, it was time for her to move toward independence: she was going to college.
Unlike other prospective students, attending college wasn’t just a matter of buying books and getting good classes. To make her dream happen, Lindsay needed to find an accessible school. She needed to hire students to get her ready in the mornings, to take notes for her in classes, and to assist her in the evenings.
So for Lindsay, college was a movement toward independence and dependence—trusting that God would bring her to the right place and the right people.
Eventually, God led her to Colorado Christian University (CCU), where she chose to double major in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship. Lindsay excelled at CCU from the beginning. Her disability did not hold her back—she thrived. But God wanted more from Lindsay.
A Phone Call from Joni Eareckson Tada—and Call from God to Serve
Throughout her childhood, Lindsay had heard the name Joni Eareckson Tada. Her grandparents, who had read one of Joni’s books, held her up as a role model for Lindsay. And during Lindsay’s sophomore year at CCU, a friend told her about Joni and Friends internships. While she was interested, Lindsay never considered applying herself.
Then one day, Lindsay received a call—from Joni herself! Friends of Lindsay’s grandparents had gotten acquainted with Joni. And when she heard about Lindsay’s adventurous and capable spirit, she felt confident that God could use her service at Joni and Friends. So Joni decided to call Lindsay personally to invite her intern with us… and Lindsay took her up on it!
During her internship, Lindsay created and led a team of CCU students to serve for two weeks at the Alabama Family Retreat. While she had the most experience with disability on the team, she was nervous about leading—what did it look like to lead while having a disability? She wasn’t sure…
Leading with Disability
As her team’s first week at Family Retreat began, Lindsay struggled, especially because people kept mistaking her for a participant instead of a leader. But she soon realized that what she saw as weakness was her greatest strength. Her disability wasn’t a hindrance but an avenue for real relationships. As Lindsay says:
“The perspective shift for me, between the first and second week, was why am I viewing this as something to be frustrated about? This is a gift the Lord has given me to relate to the campers more and their families more, to build deeper relationships and connections. That realization was a very good gift the Lord gave me.
“I was able to connect with people just straight away. Because I understand what they’re going through, and I want them to know that they can serve too.”
Lindsay found that she could connect with families living with disability more than anyone else on the team. And as a leader, her vulnerability encouraged genuine connection within the team, which became a tight-knit spiritual community.
“Most people can hide what they’re struggling with very easily… But we are supposed to bear one another’s burdens within the body of Christ. Removing the need to uncover what someone needs help with, so you can just tell, it removes barriers straight away. We can be more reliant on the Lord by having it out in the open.”
Lindsay
Lindsay’s First Hike!
Lindsay and her team ended their experience with a fun team-bonding experience—in partnership with Luke 5 Adventures, Lindsay went on her first hike ever! And her team supported her every step of the way. At times, she even relied on them to carry her and her adaptive wheelchair equipment—it was a real-life example of supporting each other in vulnerability, literally bearing one another’s burdens.
Joni and Friends Internship
Interested in interning with Joni and Friends? Check out our life-changing internship opportunities!
