It had been one of "those nights"; sport practices for almost every child, book reports due, children needed baths and that was only the TIP of the ol iceberg. We did what any SANE parents would do...told the kids we were heading out to the trail behind our house and would be back in 15 minutes. We grabbed our jackets and ran out the front door like two highschoolers....AT LAST, AT LAST...WE ARE FREE AT LAST! We were laughing at how excited we were just to get away for 15 min and then we saw them.....Jacoby's wheelchair tracks in the grass. We both stopped talking and stood in silence... almost in reverence of what these tracks symbolized. This "picture" of her well-trodden tracks was shouting her personality and her story. Jacoby is steady, reliable, and disciplined. The tracks showed she followed the same trail outline every day; it had been tested, and would lead her safely to the concrete walking trail.
Jason and I stood in respect of those precious trails because she taught us something that night. The foundation...the disciplines...the beliefs that made Jacoby who she was NEVER changed, even though her circumstances changed drastically. It evoked both Jason and I to ask ourselves.....do we leave trails? Would people know what we stood for by OUR well-beaten trails? Once again, God used our precious daughter's accident to sharpen us; always a student....the learning continues.
October 19th was the "1st Annual Jacoby Miles Classic" Gymnastics Meet at Roach Gymnastics; what an HONOR it was to come back and see you were supported and not forgotton. Jacoby was awarded "The Most Inspirational Gymnast" by USA Gymnastics. ( By this point it was hard not to make a scene.)
We cant even begin to express how THANKFUL we were/are to Melanie and Dan Roach, all of the people, parents, teams, gymnasts, coaches and judges that made it happen. The emotions ran high that day as Jacoby and I watched the gymnasts compete....just one short year ago she was competing herself. Ahhh...the sovereignty of God!
Life changes...people change...circumstances change, but God is ALWAYS the same! We THRIVE on the belief the best is yet to come.....
I pray you one day soon step on that mat yet.
ReplyDeleteVery proud of Jacoby's and what she is teaching through the dedication of her own. She is an amazing and inspirational gymnast. Knowing that my daughter was on a team with her back in the day at Crystals Gymnastics will forever hold a special place in our lifes. Thanks Jacoby for your friendship and faith in the lord. We all love you and only wish you and your beautiful family the best.
ReplyDeleteTo the parents of Jacoby: The way you've treated Roach Gymnastics since the accident has truly been humbling to me. A lot of people would have been running to the nearest lawyer ready to sue Roach out of business. Instead, you've shown love and compassion towards the owner and are steadfast supporters to this day. The forgiveness you've displayed is nothing short of spectacular.
ReplyDeleteJacoby: You've been blessed with best possible parents to help you handle the big change in your life. I'm sure it's been a challenging lifestyle adjustment, but at least you have two wonderful folks taking great care of you. They are teaching us all a lot with their incredible wisdom and love.