Have you ever had someone save your life? I have. Her name is Penny Williams. When you look at her face, she just looks like a cherub. A beautiful angelic face, never without a smile. April 23, 2007 I was in a terrible car wreck. A man ran a red light and broadsided me. He was texting and witnesses said he smelled like alcohol. It was 8:00 in the morning. I had a broken back, part of my clavicle was fractured, I had severe head and neck injuries from the closed head trauma and my left arm was paralyzed for three months.
It took almost one year of physical therapy as well as speech therapy to relearn how to form my words again to feel “right.” It was an extremely difficult time. Once I was released to go back to the gym, I discovered yoga. Not only did I discover yoga, I discovered a new strength I never knew I had. A strength taught to me by Penny.
Penny used to walk up and down the rows of our yoga class and remind us, “It doesn’t matter how far you can go … go as far as your body will let you.” The main thing Penny told us was, “Focus on your breathing. Don’t worry about how far the person next to you can extend their body … just focus on your breathing.”
For so many months after the car wreck, doctors just wanted to prescribe pain meds and scoot me out the door. But I was anti-pain meds. The pain meds made me queasy and they did not touch my pain.
Enter Penny.
Penny helped me regain my mobility, my strength and my balance. Penny helped me learn to breathe again. In yoga, it is imperative to remember to breathe in each and every pose. When life is stressful, the same lesson applies.
“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
When life has been exceptionally stressful, I try to close my eyes and focus on my breathing. In those moments I rely on God’s Holy Spirit to guide me. During a period of my life that was so painful; physically, emotionally and mentally, God placed someone in my life who would change it forever. I will always believe Penny Williams saved my life.
God used Penny to help me find new strength. In both physical and emotional ways, I had to learn to run and not grow weary. My physical strength was almost non-existent after the wreck and I had to work so hard to get back to where I was the morning it happened, but I came back even stronger. My emotional strength had crumbled. God used Penny over the years to rely on His supernatural strength to carry me through and ultimately gain the strength for my precious daughter and me to find a better way of life.
What if Penny had ignored her calling to teach yoga? The countless students she has taught over the years never would have been impacted by her grace. When my back is sore, to this day, I recall the teachings of Penny, and I’ll immediately get on the floor and start my yoga.
This makes me wonder about each of us. What if we ignore the callings God issues to each one of us? What if the teacher decides to no longer teach? What if the medical student chooses not to practice medicine? What if the law student decides not to practice law? What if the prayer warrior decides their prayers are not heard, and stops praying for others? What if the giver decides to stop giving, and people in need are not helped? The list could go on and on with examples, but everywhere I look, I see how Papa uses the gifts and talents He grants to bless His children and glorify Him.
I’m sure there are people in your life who have saved your life, changed your life, touched your life in a massive way, but maybe they don’t know it? Make sure you tell them. They need to know they are difference makers. Just like my sweet Penny … she is a difference maker in the lives of so very many people.