An Amazing Opportunity to Make a Difference!

March 22, 2013

Just got a call from Micah Jones of BrainSong the Micah Jones Foundation this morning!  She had been telling me she wanted to talk to me about something and we'd been corresponding for some time now, but I had no idea what she would end up asking me this morning at 8:00am.  I hadn't actually pondered what she might ask or say since we had been talking pretty candidly and developed quite a friendship...I just figured we would talk about the journey we'd been on toward healing.

The night before she called me, March 21, 2013, I chose BrainSong ~ The Micah Jones Foundation as my charity of choice as I ran for the People's Choice for Mrs. California United States.  I hadn't told anyone and up on the Mrs. CA US site it went.  So when I got a call the next morning I was stunned that Micah was asking me if I would come to Zanesville, OH to participate in their 2nd annual "Rock the Walk" event.  My heart was skipping everywhere; I was overwhelmed by how the events had been orchestrated to come to this amazing opportunity...and unbelievably excited!  I thanked God for his mysterious and amazing ways.  He had put it in my heart to make BrainSong my charity of choice and I was overwhelmed that He already had something even bigger in motion.

 

 

Responding to the invitation to participate in the "Rock the Walk" event with BrainSong

 

Several years ago while working at a camp in Northern WI for the summer of 2000, people began to tell me that I would speak to a lot of people...especially women...and I would tell my story to encourage and inspire them.  I was NOT excited...that was the last thing I wanted to do!  I had always run from anything that would reveal who I really was or the tragic events I had been subjected to in life.  I often wondered who in their right mind would want to hear about my personal tragedies.  I had been through such a truly horrific and confusing life in so many ways that people were often surprised that I didn't have a severely skewed view of God, but through a series of unique events and loving people, I learned that He had plans for me...even if I didn't like the sound of them yet, it was comforting to know He was there for me and wasn't leaving.  Still, I struggled with this possible destiny.   It was a miracle that I had actually begun to share parts of my life story at all, but I had watched it help people and encourage them to overcome crises and, sometimes, incredible odds, and I realized that it would be selfish of me to keep that kind of encouragement to myself...and so I continued to share one on one or in small groups.  Little did I know how much more I would go through and have yet to share.

The more I shared parts of my story, the more people told me this was my destiny.  After some more college, a nice paying job, and then a major detour/series of tragic events (which I may share at a later time), I began to feel unbelievably restless and a little disoriented.  I sensed the nearing of my destiny and still didn't want anything to do with it.  I was terrified of sharing my life in a public format.  I decided that I should serve my country and joined the Army as a Soldier in the field of military intelligence in 2005.  I figured I could suffer behind the scenes and alone and no one would be the wiser.  I now had an excuse for not being public about my life. However, after falling apart physically...partially paralyzed left leg, traumatic brain injury, heart attack, and brain tumor...I realized that this career wasn't looking very good for me.  Three years later I left the Army definitely worse off than I entered.  By the time I experienced my third traumatic brain injury in 2011, I finally began sharing some of my story.  I was stunned to find just how much it inspired people and encouraged them to overcome whatever difficulty or tragedy they had encountered in life.  I wasn't even better yet, but I was on my way and the fact that I wasn't going to let it get me down seemed to inspire people.  I was amazed I could help anyone.

I realized, then, that sharing my story was not as scary as I thought it would be and I was never given the labels I thought would have to bear.  My story was no longer just my story...it was a life line, a message of hope, a courage to lend people in crises or difficulty.  I began to speak to more and more people and each time I doubted that this might be my calling in life, someone would show up to let me know that I should share my story with still more people.  A man even showed up at the gym in spite of not really wanting to be there and let me know that God told him to tell me that I should share my story...what!?  Wow...I couldn't even go to the gym without hearing about this destiny I was so unsure about.  I was still holding out in spite of all the clarity until one night in particular really made an impact on me and helped me understand that this calling was for real and I needed to take it seriously.

My husband called; his mom was in the Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital in Las Vegas where she had been life-flighted to.  We gathered some belongings and set out from Monterey to see her.  It was late when we arrived and were relieved to find that she was improving.  As we talked with the ICU nurse, my past traumatic brain injuries came into the conversation and she really wanted to know more.  I was a little hesitant at first since I wasn't used to just sharing my story with people I didn't know at least a little...it just seemed so risky, but I shared while she just stood amazed.  She asked me to connect with her daughter.  I told her I would be happy to, but didn't for a while. 

When this nurse's daughter, Kaylea, and I became friends, we began talking some about our experiences with our TBI's and the struggles we went through and were still going through because of them.  As we built camaraderie, she began to encourage me to share on a bigger platform and to become an advocate for women with traumatic brain injuries.  I wasn't so sure I was ready for that, but began to think it over.  She sent me jewelry she made as part of her therapy to heal and a book to exercise my brain among other things...so supportive and encouraging.  She also introduced me to friends and groups that helped women with their struggles to recovery from TBI's.  I was stunned to find so many people who were going through the same kinds of struggles I was going through and felt encouraged...just knowing I was not alone was healing in and of itself.  Kaylea never stopped encouraging me to be an advocate...she believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself. 

One day I saw her connection with Micah Jones and BrainSong and knew that everything about this foundation mirrored what my heart was saying.  I instantly wanted to participate!  I even offered to somehow do something in California that would help with the foundation in 2012, but it was not meant to be...yet.  I continued to support what they did and corresponded more and more until March 22, 2013 at 8:00am when I got the phone call that made my heart sing!  Would I be willing to participate in person and partner with the foundation?  Yes, yes, yes...if there was any bigger way to say "yes", I would!  I'm overwhelmed that God would allow me to be a part of such an amazing work and fill a role that has helped, and I believe will continue to help, so many women recover their health, joy, and hope.  Humbled, I pray that I will be a blessing as I feel more blessed than I ever dreamed I could be. 

P.S. Thank you, Kaylea and Micah, my fellow TBI survivors, for making such an amazing impact on my life by encouraging me to walk in my destiny with dignity and might...you're friendship means more to me than I have the words to convey. 


Micah Jones 

http://www.brainsong.org/         

 

I can hardly wait to share pictures of a successful "Rock the Walk" event on behalf of BrainSong and all the women who have survived traumatic brain injuries!!

 

 

*See "Speaking at the BrainSong - Micah Jones Foundation 'Rock The Walk' Event" post for an update.