—Adam Shields, Highland 11th Ward
Ever since I was 14, all I wanted was to be a Navy SEAL. I worked at it for years and finally got there. But sometimes the Lord redirects you in ways you’d never choose. In my case, a totally unremarkable training accident changed everything. I tripped, hit my head, and that was it. I’d had plenty of concussions before, but this one wrecked me.
The symptoms came hard and didn’t let up—constant migraines, dizziness, nausea, ringing ears, a resting heart rate of 115, passing out from walking across a room, and feeling like my personality had been stripped out of me. Reading felt impossible. Crowds, noise, lights—any stimulus—made things worse. My body withered and doctors kept telling me I was a liability. After months of no progress, they told me this was my new normal. I felt abandoned by God.
When I was finally medically retired, I was accepted into a new rehab program. I’d already tried everything else, so my expectations were low. But by the end of it, some symptoms eased—just barely, but enough to spark hope I hadn’t felt in over a year.
I was able to jog without passing out for a minute at a time, then a few. It was pathetic, but it was progress. Over months, that turned into running. My brain started coming back. I still had symptoms, but I wasn’t stuck in bed or in the ER anymore.
The Lord strengthened me in ways I couldn’t have done alone. He carried me through moments when I thought I was forgotten.
I didn’t end up with the career I planned on, but I ended up with something far better: an amazing wife, 4 incredible kids, and a perspective and love for life I couldn’t have got any other way. I know that if we choose, hardships help us savor the good. I know that God consecrates our afflictions for our gain. We are in His hands. Submitting to His way is always better than walking in our own. God is real. He loves us. He speaks to us. He carries us. He blesses us.