Not My Plan, But God’s

I had been a gymnast since age three and it was difficult to think of myself as anything else. Extremely self-ambitious, I worked hard at everything only to benefit myself. Whether competing or coaching, I believed this was God’s plan for me and that pursuing gymnastics every day of the week would bring me happiness. In fact, I thought gymnastics was my calling.

You see, as a child my doctors had referred to me as “the miracle.” I was born with a severe clubfoot on my left side. After a serious operation at age one, doctors told my parents I would never run as fast as other kids or play certain games on the playground.

When I was three, I vividly remember watching the Olympics on TV and seeing a gymnast perform a bar routine. I was immediately hooked. I told my mother I wanted to be a gymnast and she encouraged and supported me. By age seven, I had won first place in many gymnastics competitions without anyone knowing about my clubfoot procedure.

I was feeling confident and happy until slowly I began to learn the long-term effects on my body. I was developing painful arthritis in my knees and discovered I had a knee condition that hinders consistent movement and poses a dangerous situation on the gymnastics floor. With one knee surgery already under my belt, I had an important decision to make: I could continue gymnastics and risk permanent damage to my foot, or I could quit.

I remember a scripture my mother had in a frame: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will make your path straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). I was quickly learning my gymnastics path would end no matter how much I denied it. I felt betrayed and hurt. I cried every day asking why I had gotten so far despite my physical ailments and then was forced to quit. I was depressed, bored, lonely, angry and most of all, confused. I had worked 10 years for something that was supposed to be impossible for me to accomplish and suddenly it was gone.

Through this difficult transition, patience and faithfulness became more evident in my life. I was forced to trust that I was abandoning my gymnastics dream for a reason. When I was ready for my new life with a fresh perspective from the Lord, I sat down and listed everything I loved to do—from rock collecting to singing in the shower. Eventually, there was a moment when I realized God was leading me to reach others with my talents in media and filmmaking.

I have always been interested in media arts and was ecstatic to discover Scottsdale Bible has a media department with many volunteer opportunities. At age 15, I was determined to serve my church and community while developing my personal passions. I answered an ad in the bulletin and received an immediate response inviting me to take a look behind the scenes. I jumped right in and started learning about lighting and live videography. Although I was young to be working in this fast-paced environment, the media crew was very generous and let me ask all my questions. It was Christmastime, so I was asked to be a camera stagehand and spotlight operator at Winter Wonder 2011. This opportunity made me even more eager to learn and gain experience. At my high school, there were no classes where I could gain this kind of knowledge, and as I got a taste of developing my God-given gifts, I couldn’t get enough!

By fall 2012, I was operating a main camera during weekend services and expected to be running it during Winter Wonder. Instead, I was approached with a challenging proposal. I was asked to perform on stage as an actor using my gymnastics skills. In this prominent role, I would do gymnastics moves on a swing suspended from the ceiling. It pushed me to brush up on my recently neglected skills. I collaborated with the Arts Department to construct the swing, coordinate the music, and make sure everything was safe while I was in the air. Before and after the number was performed, I was in the booth upstairs running a spotlight.

Serving with both the stage talent and the crew was a blessing and I’m happy I didn’t pass it up! Even though I enjoy performing and expressing myself on stage, it is safe to say I’ll be behind the curtains once again for Winter Wonder 2013.

I’m still getting over the hurdle of leaving gymnastics, but I don’t regret putting my future into the hands of the One who blessed me with everything I have today. Now that I’ve done work for me, it’s time to serve God, my family, and my friends.