I am so beyond excited to start MY NEW JOB! After over 21 months of the searching, interviewing, following up, dreaming and then getting let down in the process, I HAVE A BIG KID JOB! I will be the newest addition to the Access Ability staff helping to teach disabled youth life skills. Although I was 28 when I had my stroke, having to re-learn every day tasks like walking, swallowing, and speech are universal and really don't matter about age. They are humbling to relearn at any age really. I believe the job will be helping disabled youth learn more life skills like laundry and cooking, which again, I had to re-learn over the course of the last 4 years as well.
One thing that they asked me in the interview (and is still yet unknown to me) is how I'm going to align with a client with a more outward disability that I can personally relate to their disability, even though mine is not "apparent" when you first meet me or interact with me. My honest answer was "I don't know yet". I don't know if I can say without a doubt "this is my answer of how I will approach all clients" because they are still an individual person, disability or no. On many levels, especially with my 4th year anniversary this Sunday and a currently the up and downs of these stupid headaches (this time because of the weather changes this week)... I wish on so many levels I did not have chronic pain or the stroke and it's effects on my life to manage as well. It's debilitating to say the least and very few people can even fathom what it's like to live with a TBI, chronic pains, the aftermath(s) of multiple traumas, mental health issues that cannot be battled with medications, or living at a fraction of the poverty level. I know there are several of my friends that deal with one or two of these, but all of them combined make me feel like a hot mess and a burden. However, I've had to stand back and consider myself BLESSED for these things to manage. Apparently there is someone that wants to walk with me THROUGH these things. He even wants TO USE ME THROUGH THEM. Although I hate that on many levels, it does comfort me to know that I have a Comforter that promises to be WITH ME through it all. I would not have the level of compassion that I have nor the desire to work with kids with disabilities IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME. There is a line in a song that has been on repeat in my head lately that says "YOU WORK ALL THINGS, TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD"... which honestly, is BAFFLING. I am still astonished that God not only ALLOWED these things to happen to me, and HE WILL USE THEM FOR GOOD IN MY LIFE. All of them. I don't want to deal with them, I would much rather attempt to "clean" myself up to then be used... but apparently that is not His plan.
So I start this new job on March 4. This sounds like an amazing opportunity to walk beside kids under 25 to speak hope into their lives and remind them that even WITH their disability that there is a plan. They can still do what they or others around them deam "impossible"... That was honestly one of my favorite things to hear from others and THEN prove them wrong. Walking, talking, swallowing, going back and completing my masters degree, driving again, living independently... I've heard the gamet- from the medical community and others 'who thought they knew what they were talking about', and yet, silenced the speakers by accomplishing what they said I could not do. So, on my 4th anniversary this weekend, I thank them. Thanks for doubting my abilities so that God could instead have the glory for doing what you had deemed impossible. Thank you. Thanks for allowing God to show up and do what He does best in my life, and being silenced instead. He knows best. Even in choosing me to live THIS WAY and have compassion and personal empathy with those that the world might discard and tell them that they cannot _____. I am excited to instead speak hope into their lives and be a different voice, one of a different tone. I consider it a blessing. This job is going to challenge so many things about my life, but I am so excited for that growth! What an honor 4 years after my own stroke for me to have this kind of job working with others in a like position to attempt to navigate life together. So these are my thoughts as I have my 4th anniversary and start this new job!
Love, Amy Christine
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