Here is a free read of chapter 12 of my book , if you like it please support me by typing Clyde Shafer in amazon and read more thanks.
Chapter 12
Becoming a Survivor
While working at my school, I was required to serve on at least one committee that met regularly throughout the year. The committee I chose was Health and Wellness.
The purpose of the committee was to develop activities that would encourage both physical and emotional well-being among our staff. We organized events such as healthy snack days and other activities designed to boost morale and promote healthier lifestyles. The committee was led by my assistant principal, who just so happens to be an ordained minister.
One of the activities we organized was a bowling night after school. Any employee at the school could sign up to participate. Now, I really enjoy bowling, but I must admit that I am not very good at it. That evening, pizza and cookies were provided by the school and our assistant principal. Oh, those giant macadamia nut cookies! There goes my blood sugar.
They also covered the cost of renting the bowling alley for the evening, which was no small expense considering our school employs more than eighty staff members.
I do not know what happens to me, but I can become a very competitive person.
That competitive spirit reminded me that I could still enjoy life and not become a prisoner to my pain. So I took off my glasses, set aside my cane, and allowed myself to enjoy an evening of fellowship and fun with my coworkers.
This was especially important because it was the first time since my stroke that I had participated in a social activity where I was truly getting to know the people I worked with. After all, I was still new to the school. As the evening progressed, something unexpected happened.
I bowled a strike.
Then another.
Then another.
This was completely foreign territory for me. Normally, I am lucky to score a 70. Yet somehow, I finished the night with a score of 177, beating another coworker by just two points.Now, 177 may not impress a professional bowler, but it made a lasting impression on me. I felt as though God was reminding me to enjoy life again.
His message seemed clear: Do not let your disability define you. Do not let it win.
Instead, use it.
God was beginning to show me that He could use my competitive nature and my experience as a survivor for something positive. I did not know exactly what that would look like, but I was about to find out. That night I won. Not just on the scoreboard.
I won because I finished ahead of my coworkers.
I won because I laughed.
I won because I enjoyed myself.
Most importantly, I won because I regained some confidence in who I was.
Several coworkers asked me, “Mr. Shafer, how in the world did you bowl like that?” My answer was simple. “I don’t know. I took off my glasses so I couldn’t see, and I put down my cane so I could hobble around carrying a giant oversized marble.” Sometimes that is all the explanation I have. That evening helped me realize something important. If I did not start doing the things I enjoyed, life was going to pass me by.
God was telling me not to pity myself because of my disability. Instead, he was preparing to use me as a tool to help others while continuing to help me grow at the same time.
Shortly after joining the committee, God placed another opportunity in front of me. God does that. He places choices before all of us. Sometimes we recognize them, and sometimes we do not. I am learning that free will is one of God’s greatest gifts. Because we have free will, we also have the responsibility to choose whether we will accept the opportunities and challenges He places before us. That is exactly what was about to happen.
At the end of one committee meeting, my assistant principal invited me to participate in a Heart Walk. At first, I politely declined. Selfishly, all I could think about was the forty-mile drive from my home to Greenville, North Carolina, where the event would take place on a Saturday. School life can be hectic, and the last thing I wanted to do was give up valuable weekend time.
When I got home, however, I decided to do a little research. I discovered that the American Heart Association not only raises money and awareness for heart health but also promotes stroke awareness and prevention. Then I discovered where the walk would be held. My alma mater, East Carolina University. I would love to walk on that campus again. Something was pulling me in.
People often become confused because they expect God to speak through an audible voice. Let me tell you something—I was hearing Him loud and clear. The walk promoted stroke awareness. It supported a cause that was deeply personal to me.
To top that off ,it was being held at my alma mater.
The message was obvious. It felt as though God was saying: “Hey Clyde, I need you to use your experience as a survivor. I need you to help promote awareness and tell your story through your actions.”
After talking with Sherry, we both agreed this was something I needed to do.
That night I signed up. I created my own fundraising page and shared my survivor story.
I had about two months to raise money and support the cause. To be honest, I am glad I did not focus on the fundraising part right away because I hate asking people for money.
I started sharing my story with friends, family, coworkers, and church members. Before long, donations started coming in. God was using the story He had written in my life.
At first, I did not understand His plan. Now I am beginning to see it. The day of the walk finally arrived. A team of coworkers from my school joined me in support of both the cause and my journey. To my surprise, I was asked to come on stage because I had raised the third-highest fundraising total in the event despite having only a short amount of time to collect donations. While it will not cover the timeline of this part of my story , the next year I again participated and was the top walker raising well over $2000 for the cause.
I was recognized as a survivor. There was that word again. Survivor.
I am a survivor. With cane in hand I made the walk. I did not focus on the walk . My eyes were looking toward all of the reminiscent sights of the buildings that I walked the halls of on a campus I truly adore. Now that I understand part of God’s purpose for my experiences, I can honestly say that I would do it all again.That may sound strange, but it reminds me of wounded soldiers who say they would gladly serve again despite their injuries.
Why?
Because they understand that the struggle served a greater purpose.
I believe God is using my experience and current disability for His glory. He has called me to share my journey so that others facing difficulties can find hope, encouragement, and strength. By telling my story and witnessing God’s faithfulness through my struggles, I pray that I can help lead others closer to Jesus Christ and make disciples for His kingdom. I believe that is where God has brought me. I have become a survivor. More importantly, I have become a survivor living within God’s will. That has made all the difference. This is stronger than any pain or struggle that I have ever gone through. This is being a SURVIVOR !