“Epiphany”

A few months ago, I flew to L.A. for three weeks, visiting my best friend and her family. The first night, my friend showed me a DVD case with the picture of young guy with no arms or legs. It had “Life without Limbs, with Nick Vujicic” printed on the cover. My friend asked me if I’d like to watch the video about Nick. I popped the disc into my notebook computer’s DVD drive and played the movie. I clicked “Life with Nick at home” on the Play menu and watched the video showing Nick’s life. I was delighted to see it had English subtitles. I saw how Nick can swim in the pool, using his flipper-like foot as a propeller to keep him floating toward the edge of the pool, and climb up on the deck without needing anybody’s help. Amazingly, he can cook and feed himself! He can shave his beard, take a shower, and climb the stairs. Nick can ride on a motor scooter and go for a walk with his dog. Nick only has a tiny flip foot with two toes. He can type 43 wpm on a computer keyboard and carries on a marketing business at home. I was in shock as I watched his life unfolding before my eyes. Unbelievable! Nick was born without arms or legs, yet his mother never took any medication that could cause this deformity.
Nick now is an inspirational speaker worldwide, giving his testimony to people, and showing how handicapped people can do almost anything. From his own life experiences, Nick testifies that Jesus does love us and care about us.
Nick and I share something in common: Fully capable people call us handicapped. They have a long list of things that they think we cannot do. When Nick shows them all the things he can do, their previous ideas are proved wrong. They start to realize they have to re-think where the limits actually lie. Seems to me that the real limits are in their minds. Not everyone has heard about Nick. I hope that people who look at what Nick can do will open their minds.
I have not limited myself, but other people limit me in their thinking. Most people view me as not normal, not capable. When I tell people that I can do almost anything, they doubt it and think, “She can’t do this, she can’t do that”. I can see it in their eyes and by how they respond.
I was interviewed once on Christian TV about my trip to Africa. The interviewer, referred to me (introduced me) as someone who was handicapped. Well, I think of myself as normal.
When I got my second childhood immunization, it made me deaf. Some people ask me, “Did losing your hearing make you depressed?” Well, I have never felt depressed about my deafness. Others ask, “Do you feel angry at God; do you blame Him, because of your deafness?” Frankly, no, I don’t.
After an event with very loud music, people will say to me, “Oh, I wish I were deaf like you so the music wouldn’t hurt my ears. I envy you.” Boy, is that ever a dumb thing to say!
The byline for Nick Vujicic’s organization, Life Without Limbs, is “From no limbs, to no limits.” Since most of the people who hear him are fully capable, he is not just trying to be a motivational speaker for handicapped people. Rather, I think he wants people to understand two things: first, they should see past the limits that disabled people do have and start to think of what is possible; second, just as he has overcome his limitations and frustrations, and found new ways of doing things, they too can get past the obstacles that get in their way.
I can get past the strange things that people have said to me. But what frustrates me is when people limit what I can do because of the limits in their minds.
Nick has a personal goal of living on his own, earning a living (i.e., not on welfare). He would like to marry and father children. He works to find ways to succeed in every way he can. But he also knows there are still some real limits. For those things, he gets help. Sometimes, his brother or cousins assist him. And when he goes on a speaking tour, the brother, the cousin or some of his friends travel with him.
I have a small business that brings in some money for me right now. I would like to be a successful professional photographer. I plan to go to photography school. I am not limiting myself. But will people put up barriers to block me? I hope not. But, they may.
Nick is an example of persistence. He finds ways to overcome the obstacles in his life – sometimes with help from his friends. He is both an example and encouragement to me.


(by: Monique)


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