What this Blog is About

This blog is about moving forward one step at a time, one small decision at a time. Sometimes we hear about our great destiny in God and feel frustrated. Many of us are just trying to get through today. Yes, I believe in God’s destiny for my life, but I’ve come to understand that the great plan of God is interwoven with challenges, unanswered questions, deep joy, and a whole lot of daily life.

Through articles, artwork, videos, and discussions on this blog, I will share some of my own stories of moving forward through disabilities and long-term pain. I’m only where I am because I have had a lot of help over many years. I’m not out of pain or the overwhelming and limiting mindset that comes with it. Although I am not yet completely free, I’m still in the process. But aren’t we all? I will share my own thoughts and stories as well as those of comrades who are walking forward with me. Often, I will share about what God has spoken to me as I create small swatches of beauty in my journal or on a piece of watercolor paper. I might invite you to be creative and learn to express yourself, your feelings, your pain, or your joy.

Intended Audience:

Anyone who takes life and faith seriously is invited to read this blog. The entries will appeal especially to those of us who face ongoing challenges such as physical or emotional pain and disability. Much of what I say may not make sense to those who have not experienced much pain. Many of us have dealt with unfortunate circumstances, which have made it necessary for us to re-examine ideas once held dear. My childhood faith in Jesus has sustained me and given me reason to keep living, while my painful challenges have refined and matured my faith. How can we live with disabilities and long-term challenges in such a way that our spirits are formed toward God, rather than deformed toward bitterness or depression? This blog is intended to help readers face the reality of their lives and live well within that reality, ultimately to experience joy amid suffering.

My greatest hope is that we can encourage each other on our journeys as we understand our brokenness. Many wise spiritual leaders encourage us to embrace our brokenness, but we rarely know how and don’t have many examples to follow. However, if God isn’t intimidated by the fragmented pieces of our lives, we need not be, either. We must keep reminding each other of that.

“Drenched”

Baptism by fire and water. The purifying fire of our living God falls on us, anointing our minds, hands, and legs. He makes us ready for action while giving us freedom to swing through the variety of life experiences triumphantly. The living water drenches us, providing relief and comfort: more than enough, abundantly more.

Oh God, help us accept your purifying fire. Let us welcome it. Let us live immersed in your living water. Let it pervade every cell, let it transform every thought. Let it bring freedom.

Qualifications:

What qualifies Sarah? Why should I read her blog?

Let me say that I’m qualified to write on the topic of pain and recovery because of what I have walked through and because I’m still moving forward, still living life. I’m qualified because I’m still in pain, and I understand how hard it is to face each day when nothing seems to be changing. The articles in this blog are not written from a position of comfort. Each day, I work at living what I write about.

I’ve faced the emotional turmoil that came with a spinal cord injury in my teenage years and the deep waters of permanent physical disability. In 1992, the course of my life changed in an instant: a defining moment. Yet, I’ve refused to let that moment define my life and my mindset. That has been hard. Once you enter physical rehabilitation, you start to work hard to regain your life, only to find out that you need a new normal—one extremely different than you could have ever imagined.

My whole life has been rehabilitation since that accident. I remember an honest physical therapist telling me I would need to exercise my whole life to maintain mobility. Due to a second accident that badly damaged my right knee and resulted in three more operations, I feel like I’m continually learning to walk. The physical act of walking, one step at a time, takes effort for me. Maybe you have been skimming but pay attention to this part: “continually learning to walk” provides a great metaphor for our spiritual lives. This is true for all of us, whether we realize it or not.

Throughout my life, my spiritual life has been nourished by the creation of art. It helps me to make sense of things. My life stories aren’t complete unless I tell you about the art and images going through my mind as I lived those events. I teach theology using the illustrations I have created. I often pray by painting pictures, which express my hopes for friends, our countries, and our world better than my words ever could. What a gift from God! How interesting that I so often identify myself primarily based on my physical limitations rather than the extraordinary creative view of the world God has given me in my art. Identity will be a frequently visited topic on this blog.

Secondary Qualifications:

As a young person in America, I studied Occupational Therapy (OT) at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania and earned my license to practice OT. Though the mindset of OT highly influenced my life and work, I never used my license in a rehabilitation setting. Instead, I packed my bags and headed to India, and used my OT mindset in every setting I entered! Later, I earned a master’s degree in Global Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary, which launched me into a journey of discovering my vocation as a wounded healer. In India, I often teach on the topic of worldviews, education, healing, and spiritual formation.