Friday, January 27, 2012

This Is Inspiration

I came across some pictures from a trip we made to Hawaii a few years ago. One of the most amazing things I saw in Hawaii was at the airport as we were preparing to fly home.

I stopped in one of the airport stores to buy some candy (shocker) to get me through the long flight. When I got to the checkout counter, I noticed that the cashier was shorter than my child. And then I handed her my candy bars. Immediately I saw that she had no hands. And yet it wasn’t a setback for her at all!

She scanned the candy, took my credit card, swiped it, punched in a few numbers, then handed me my card and the candy. I was mesmerized. She was able to do her job just as quickly and efficiently as someone with two hands could do.




But the thing that stood out to me most was her smile. She was so happy! What seemed to me like a limitation was no limitation for her. She wasn't whining about her challenges or her hard lot in life. She was beaming with joy.

I left the store and walked ten minutes to our terminal. But I couldn’t get this person out of my mind. Our flight was leaving soon, but I didn’t want to forget this amazing lady. I decided to run back to the store. I told her that I was inspired by what she was doing and asked if I could take her picture. Without hesitation she said yes. It’s easy to see the happiness pouring out of her.




I hope I can be more like this lady. I want to turn my weaknesses into strengths. I want to work hard for the things I believe in. I don’t want ANYTHING to hold me back. I want to complain less and smile more.

No more excuses to hold us back from everything we can become!

13 comments:

  1. That is incredible and inspiring.

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  2. What a great smile she has. I love stories like that.

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  3. Beautiful. We truly have no excuse. My Fathet in Heaven has blessed me so much.

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  4. And here I thought you were going to post a picture of me from that trip! Totally kidding. That is a very inspiring picture. What a neat lady and I wish that I would have seen her. I think we need to go back to Hawaii and find this lady!

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  5. Such a powerful story Cory and I truly appreciate you sharing it. We all need to be more humble and hear stories like this. I have a cousin who is much like this lady. He has muscular dystophy and was told he would never walk and likely wouldn't live past 10 years old.

    He walks, he ran the 5k we did for my brother in august, he is now 20 years old, and he genuinly loves life!!

    Thank you for this reminder to keep working hard and strengthen my weaknesses. I am really going to focus on this.

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  6. She does look happy. I know what it's like to work in a convenience store having done it for 10 years ages ago. It is a hard job and can be challenging. What an awesome example she is.

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  7. Thanks for going back and telling her she was inspiring. I'm sure it made her day. Of all the people who probably just stare and walk by, you're definitely cut from a different mold. Thanks for posting this story!

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  8. incredible story and a beautiful woman inside and out!! wow...she really does look so happy!!

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  9. What an awesome story! Thanks for sharing. She really is an inspiration!

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  10. With the right attitude we can overcome anything. I need to stop whining about not being able to run. Thanks for the reminder.

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  11. People like that are truly an inspiration. My son is one of them. You cant see his disability from the outside though. He only has half a heart. They originally told us he wouldnt be born alive. He is now 14. He has had some type of surgical/medical procedure at least once a year from the day he was born. Yet he is happy and lives life to the fullest. Most of us will probably never even experience 1/4 of the surgeries he has already had.

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  12. What an amazing, beautiful woman! Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Cory, with all the added difficulties in flying post 9-11, thank you for sharing this Jubiliant Gem with us. What a testament to parents, grandparents who loved her enough to allow the sunshine captured in this gal's heart to glow for the rest of us to see! What an answer to those pro-choice vs. Pro-Life! This is what facing problems head on is! For helping your child rise above circumstances and excelling!

    Last year, you let us glimpse into your heart when sharing your wife's dilemma at tackling daily life with both elbows broken, needing surgery yet the LORD stretched you farther and showed you a woman with NO ELBOWS OR HANDS! wow, as a person who had a tumor eat a bone in her finger, needed a bone graft, 4 surgeries in 4 years, each time in full arm cast learning how to do daily's yet all of that is nothing compared to this gal.. She shows no rancor, or embarrassment but instead is sweet, kind, and genuinely smiling!

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