Privileged To PERSEVERE
Carolyn Johnson wants you to know that enduring challenges and having dreams cut short isn’t really that big of a deal. Realizing you’re privileged to persevere is what really changes everything. It’s the ‘training session’ where you will grow as a person and becoming stronger with mental fortitude and compassion for others.
GOD’S PLAN FOR MY PLAN
I was on top of the world as a personal trainer ready to open a training studio with my husband, working together in our shared passion. Excited about our venture, our plans were suddenly halted by a freak accident that caused a Traumatic Brain Injury to myself leading to a lengthy Post-Concussion Syndrome, that rocked my world and flipped it upside down.
As devastating as this was, I learned to overcome victoriously with hope to push through any struggles, welcoming a new life ahead with an answered desire of my heart.
THE NEED TO BECOME BETTER
We all have a yearning to become better, atoning for past mistakes, researching for advice, furthering education, while spending a great deal of time and money reaching our goals.
You may be like me, looking to physical fitness to improve yourself, your health, self-esteem, strengthen your mind, uplift your spirits, increase energy, and set new goals to achieve.
As we improve, we often invite others to do the same, boasting of our new-found strength and physique, flexing our brawn and challenging others to beat our new personal record— secretly hoping they don’t. This is exactly where I was when my husband and I had just started our new business together; furthering our shared and competitive passion.
However, my sudden injury brought shattered brokenness and dreams cut short, leaving me broken and lacking fulfillment, yet still striving for something more. Perhaps you can relate.
INVINCIBLE ME
I was invincible knowing the hard work, persistence, dedication and discipline it takes to sculpt a body, getting to where I wanted to go. There evolved this elite sense of “self”, of “me”, and a camaraderie within the fitness culture with others just like me; sharing a common bond.
As we improve, we invite others to do the same and challenge them to beat our new personal record— BUT we secretly hope they don’t.
Though this sounds all good, what happens if you suffer an injury? Can you handle a new set of challenges or limitations? It’s extremely hard not being able to do what I long to, when my body and brain are unable to. One common truth I’ve learned is that an injury will drop our sense of pride immediately, no matter how invincible we’ve felt!
DEPRESSION AND DESPAIR CAN SET IN
It’s very easy to fall into depression and despair, feeling alone with an injury, not being able to do what I once did as others still could. I had a most difficult time adapting at first because it was hard for people to fully understand what I was going through, being a hidden injury, and still be encouraging and compassionate?
SUDDEN TRIALS
Injuries depending on type, location, and severity of impact, really can have life-altering effects on everything regarding healing, pain, mobility, possible life-long challenges, and impaired cognitive capabilities. An injury can ultimately challenge us on every level—our activities, work, finances, relationships— everything!
For me, getting through this trial required acceptance, forgiveness, perseverance, and hope! It meant that I would hold onto my Savior and trust Him like never before.
Whenever you face difficulties, you truly need hope to just keep going; that belief, knowing that something good will come out of them, surpassing all understanding. You can learn to view them as training sessions, where you will grow as a person, becoming stronger with mental fortitude and compassion for others—where God can use you in the lives of others hurting.
MY TRIAL
My sudden trial was a Traumatic Brain Injury, developing into Post-Concussion Syndrome, that changed everything, impacting my brain and body—halting my lifestyle. I was injured on the left side of my head from one of our dogs—large, full of power and running after our other dog.
I had inadvertently intercepted their fun with my head as I bent down. The forceful impact of the dog’s hard head running into mine, resulted in damage to several brain lobes. Difficulties I noticed were, physical pain, imbalance, PTSD, cognitive, memory, speech, sensory, behavioral and communication challenges, along with hormonal imbalances affecting body systems.
My life was suddenly flipped upside down, having to re-learn basic skills, as I also learned to trust God for everything; trusting He would supply all my family’s needs. I had to not fight against but rather accept what had happened, adapt and get to know the “new” me. I could not give up, no matter how bad I felt, rather I had to let go of control and let God drive my life as I held onto hope.
WALK BY FAITH
As we learn to walk by faith, we trust in Jesus for everything, always looking forward to a hope-filled future; a “good” coming out of a “bad”. For me, the cascading “bad” was a sudden career halt, financial hardships, marriage/relationship strains, health concerns, and difficulty functioning daily. However, God was able to turn the “bad” in my life into a blossoming “good” via my writing— which was truly a rekindling of my heart’s desire.
My need to become “better” has a whole new meaning now as I hope my story can shine light to always have hope. God is absolutely amazing! Think about it—He is using me, a brain injured individual to write books with my injured brain, to serve His children whom I may have never had the chance to; to share hope with others going through the same challenges I am, ultimately bringing God glory. Now, I have real purpose!
BROKENNESS CAN BLOSSOM BEAUTIFULLY
Jesus can use your brokenness, your weakness, and make something beautiful out of it! God knows the desires of your heart He placed within you.
When you face difficulties, view them as training sessions to grow as a person so God can use you in the lives of others who are hurting.
Once I truly delighted myself in Jesus, through my broken injured life, He awakened my heart’s desire, giving me a new passion; and He will ignite yours too as you trust and delight in Him. Once I stopped focusing on “myself” and in what “I can’t” do, due to my injury, but rather on what “God can” do, He turned my weakness into strength to help others through my pain, ultimately giving Him glory.
Read Blog Your Way To Better Health and learn how you can use writing as a way to help others.
Whenever you’re faced with any trial or injury, suddenly losing that sense of control, it will open your eyes to Who is in control. For the endurance you’ll now need, just let go and let God as you hang onto hope and walk by faith, never giving up! Pushing through your pain of adversity, walking in Christ’s strength, helps you to endure, grow and persevere, enabling you to help others through your pain.
Trusting in Christ Jesus will help you notice true gain: Acceptance, Patience, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Compassion, Joy, Grace, Endurance, Perseverance and the gift of Time to live with purpose!
God works through each of us to help each other, not pridefully compete against for selfish gain. You can be confident knowing, though you may feel lacking in times of weakness, God’s strength will shine through you sufficiently perfect. That is perfect hope! That is the fighting spirit to never give up!
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”- 2Corinthians 12:9 It sure Is!
Questions for self-reflection and group discussion:
1. What is important to your identity? In what ways does “self-identity” push to be primary in your life? How can you allow God to better live through you to help others and bring Him Glory?
2. Consider how pride, greed, jealousy, an excessive competitive spirit to win at all costs and other qualities of human nature can become the strong attitudes that rule like God in you. How do these undesirable character qualities gain such a strong place in your life? How does that make you feel? In contrast when do you exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? In what ways can you nurture and strengthen these qualities in your life?
3. When the trials and storms of life challenge you and war against you, what do you do? How do you feel helpless? In what ways do your self-efforts fail? Think about a time when you’ve prayed to God for help. What was the outcome? In what ways does trust in God and trust in self differ? What are some ways you could begin to give more of your concerns, hopes, needs, challenges, and opportunities to God instead of trying to take control of them?
