When we think about life events that define our existence, what naturally comes to mind? Perhaps it’s finishing your education, or getting that first job, starting a family? Or maybe the tougher things come to mind, like facing an illness, losing a loved one, or struggling to make ends meet after a job has ended. There’s one common denominator in both the hard and joyful events of our lives—our faith. It’s in those defining life moments—even the ones where you crash and fail hard—that greatness, courage, and true purpose reveal themselves. That one act of taking the next small step on the way to our next big hurdle reminds us of how Jesus says, “All it takes is to have faith the size of a mustard seed, and mountains will move.” [Matthew 17:20]
Our guests this week have experienced the kinds of life events we’re talking about that make one take stock in who they are. From failing an obstacle course on national television to crashing a racecar on a winding track up a mountain, they’ve faced unusual challenges, but their stories don’t end in failure. Each of them chose to dust themselves off, take another small step of faith, and continue to do what they were meant to do. American Ninja Warrior Maggi Thorne shares how she battled with mild traumatic brain injury while racing up the infamous warped wall. She walks us through her decision to step away and heal and how she leaned on God to find the strength to never give up. Pastor and race car driver Don Wickstrum takes us on his path to racing to the clouds on a 12.42 mile intensive mountain course, amid a colon cancer diagnosis. He shares how he chose not to quit, but instead how he relied on God to make it to the finish line.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Todd Hoffman
Upcoming interview: Chris Tomlin
Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge
Madonna Rehabilitation Services in Lincoln, Nebraska
Interview Quotes:
“[My] experiences have actually led to my passion to serve the poor, the underprivileged, the underrepresented, and making sure my platform of American Ninja Warrior—what I feel like God has blessed me with—is used to advocate for those and specifically speak into the life of youth and tell them you have opportunity, it's not opposition, and anything is possible.” - Maggie Thorne
“I knew God had given me this role and responsibility and He can take this next path too. Because a lot of people, when I said, “I think I'm going to go out and build people and not buildings, and I'm going to quit,” they thought I was bananas and couldn't quite understand it and told me I was ruining my life, actually. And I'd never be successful again. But I really had faith and trust in God.” - Maggie Thorne
“How I train has shown up in competition because you're going to experience the unexpected, you're going to experience failure. And how you've trained as a whole, that's when it's going to be there and show up.” - Maggie Thorne
“[I realized], Okay, this isn't about saying ‘never give up.’ It's about becoming never give up. Can we become what we say? And what does that journey look like? And the first step was acceptance. I'm never going to be who I was again, but who can I be now and can I put that in God's hands?” - Maggie Thorne
“I began to realize that I didn't need to know the ending of the story. I just needed to tell it and where I was at because it would speak to someone.” - Don Wickstrum
“It was an absolutely incredible moment for me; realizing God's faithfulness and the fact that He didn't rescue me from adversity. He gave me the power and strength to endure it so that I could have a character built up in hope.” - Don Wickstrum
“There's still hope for you for your purpose. There's still hope for you to be reconciled through Jesus Christ. There is still hope for you to live another day fulfilling the will of God.” - Don Wickstrum
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C
Peace for Everyday Life: https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj
Peace in Uncertain Times: https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u
What’s Good? https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj
Enneagram: https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY
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