My story starts with my family and I wouldn’t be where I am now without the support of friends and mentors who helped me embrace my everyday challenges and to be brave enough to keep fighting and be who I am today.

My journey began when doctors said I wouldn’t live and if I was to be born that I would have multiple complications and possible disabilities that would consume my life with hardship and challenges. I’m so blessed to have parents that decided that they still wanted to meet their daughter despite all the doubts and no matter the outcome. I was diagnosed with Spina Bifida and other diagnoses that made me have limitations from the waist down. After multiple medical tests, surgeries, and physical therapy, I was able to learn to walk with leg braces and start my life with a disability and find out what that looked like with God in my life. I accepted the Lord into my life at nine years old and from that point on I can remember the Lord drawing so close to me and speaking to me in ways that stretched me out of my comfort zones. In Junior High and High School, my church did summer camps and conferences that invited teens to pursue God and expand our relationship with him through Bible studies, small group conversations, and physical activities. My pastor’s wife invited me to join but I can remember the fear and anxiety that overwhelmed me with doubt and comparison. She said that my leader would help me where I needed help but that she really wanted me to grow in independence and trust God in the process. Little did I know that my small group leader became my very close friend throughout the summer and she helped me understand my identity in Christ over my insecurities in my body-image. Throughout my teenage years, God provided me with some amazing mentors that I saw as godly sisters that I could lean on who could see past my disability, and who helped me become the women I am today. I now can walk with confidence in my leg braces and not mind who stares at me. When people around me ask about my visible disability I can smile at them instead of becoming shy or bitter at the questions.

Life Now:

I’m so thankful for the times that challenged me now because today I get to continue using my physical limitations to help others understand that it’s not a disability but it’s truly through His ability that I can speak out about it and live in joy with my physical differences. I’ve been a teacher now for nine years now and I love that I’ve been able to be a teacher and speaker to both classrooms and churches to speak to preschoolers, middle schoolers, and even teenagers about how to love those who are different; that its ok to be curious and to ask questions but how to ask those questions and how to love and befriend those who have disabilities. I know from personal experience that I wanted to be seen not just for my wheelchair but to have the same opportunities and friend groups as everyone else because there is so much more than our outward circumstances. Some of my favorite memories I share are when little ones ask the most blunt questions like, “Why do you walk like that” or “Why do you have to sit in that chair?” And it not only helps create a safe place to communicate with them but it brings Jesus into the conversation. It also helps parents and siblings understand that it’s ok to learn that my limitation isn’t something to pity or be sad about but an opportunity to bring life and joy to someone who might be going through their own trial and to know that all things are possible with God. During the pandemic, the Lord put on my heart to start writing my journal entries and writing my story and begin sharing it as a blog. In 2020 I published my website called EmbracedBravery which shares my stories!

EmbracedBravery was started back in my journal when I was in Junior High and ever since I have loved those two words together, which became the title of my website. We all go through challenges and sometimes it is hard to embrace our weaknesses and circumstance; especially the ones that may not change the way we’d like them to. Something the Lord always put on my heart was that I was fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:13-14) and that even if my circumstances and disabilities won’t change that He knew that my life would be to help others.

In James 1:2-4 it says, “Count it all joy, my brothers and sister when you meet various trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete and lack in nothing.” God has shown me that my bravery doesn’t come without trial and that if I can count it all joy, then I will become steadfast and lack nothing. I am perfect and complete in Him and that is my prayer for girls with disabilities through my blog, that this blog can be a place to reflect and feel at peace knowing that God has a plan for them even in their imperfect scenarios. Ladies, you lack nothing because God has knit you in your mother’s womb in beauty and in complete perfection just the way you are.

I’m so honored to share my story with you and to bring encouragement and insight through how I live with my disability. To those of you reading this post who are living with similar disabilities, I hope this inspires you to keep going and try everything you can. For the readers who live with someone or have a friend who has a disability, I want you to know that you play a big part in their story as well.

For more encouragement from Michaela visit https://embracedbravery.com