Post by Jay's Girl on Aug 12, 2003 8:55:19 GMT -5
Life has never been too easy for me. You see I am confined to a wheelchair because I was born without any legs. I have spent the past 16 years feeling sorry for myself. About three summers ago my parents decided it would be good if I went to summer camp. Can you believe that they would send me, an invalid, to summer camp? I was so mad at them. I felt as though they were taking away my life. After all, wasn't camp just a bunch of perfectly normal healthy kids running around and having fun without a care in the world? I would be so conspicuous.
This camp that they sent me to, was called Camp Hope. When we got there I saw the most unusual thing; all the kids there were just like me. It was unbelievable. I was housed in a cabin with four other girls in wheelchairs. Toni was the girl in the bunk right next to me. She was so pretty. Her hair was blonde. She had blue eyes and always wore a smile. I wondered how she could be so happy all the time, when she was confined to her wheelchair.
Toni was to become my best friend. She had cerebral palsy. That was why Toni was in a wheelchair. We did everything together during our time at camp, but she had something else that always kept a smile on her face. As the week went by we went swimming (I had never done this before), painted, planted flowers in pots to take home to our mothers, and had a wonderful time. During our time together I wondered why Toni always smiled? Sure, we had a lot of great times together, but her smile went beyond "good times." I must admit that I was glad my parents sent me to this camp. For the first time in my life, I knew what it meant to have fun and truly live.
Late one night Toni asked me if I knew where I would go if I died that night. I had no idea. She then told me of this man who could heal people. He could make people walk who had never been able to. I wanted terribly to know this man that she was talking about. I had never heard of anyone living or dead who had been able to do the things Toni said that this man could do. I asked Toni if she could give me his address, so that I could write to him and tell him about my problems. Do you know what she told me? She said that I could tell him about my problems right now if I wanted to. What? She did not even have a phone with her! How could that be?
Toni told me that this man was the Son of God and that His name was Jesus Christ. If I choose to I could ask Him to be my friend, and He would be with me for always. I asked her if it was because of this man that she was always smiling? And she said that yes indeed it was because of Jesus that she always smiled. I wanted that. I wanted that same mark of inner peace and joy. I asked Toni how I could ask Him to be my friend. She told me to pray. She even helped me pray to Him.
When it was time for our parents to come and pick us up, mine discovered a great big smile on my face. I gave Toni my address and asked her to write to me more about Jesus. On the drive back home I told my parents all about Toni and of this man called Jesus. I was so happy and full of life that my parents took me with them and found a church, so we could all learn about Jesus together.
A couple of years ago I got a letter from Toni saying she would soon be going home to see Jesus. Right after camp Toni found out that she had a tumor in her brain. The doctors said they couldn't operate on it. I was so sad. Why did God give me Toni if he wasn't going to let me be her friend for very long? My parents took me to see Toni in the hospital, she looked so thin and frail. I just wanted to cry, but I couldn't because she was still smiling. How, when she was going through all of this pain and suffering, could she still smile? I had always thought that if one smiled it meant that they were happy, but not Toni; she always smiled even now when she was so sick. It made me so mad that she could be so happy when God was making her so sick. I tried to ask God why this was all happening, but I am not any good a praying. Toni told me that she was placed on Earth to tell me about God so that we could be friends forever.
Toni two weeks after that visit she died…she is now home with God. She told me once, that when she got into heaven, she would be able to run and play with the angels. I believed her. Toni I hope that you are having the time of your life up there.
It has now been two years since Toni died. My parents took me to an orthopedics specialist last year and had me fitted for legs. I have learned how to walk without any assistance. If I had never met Toni that summer at camp then I don't think that I would have had the courage to go through with this whole process. Toni changed my life, through her love for God. She gave me a better gift than any other person has ever given me. That gift is the knowledge that I will spend an eternity with God. I know that I will see Toni again. Now let me ask you.......
What if you died tonight?
This camp that they sent me to, was called Camp Hope. When we got there I saw the most unusual thing; all the kids there were just like me. It was unbelievable. I was housed in a cabin with four other girls in wheelchairs. Toni was the girl in the bunk right next to me. She was so pretty. Her hair was blonde. She had blue eyes and always wore a smile. I wondered how she could be so happy all the time, when she was confined to her wheelchair.
Toni was to become my best friend. She had cerebral palsy. That was why Toni was in a wheelchair. We did everything together during our time at camp, but she had something else that always kept a smile on her face. As the week went by we went swimming (I had never done this before), painted, planted flowers in pots to take home to our mothers, and had a wonderful time. During our time together I wondered why Toni always smiled? Sure, we had a lot of great times together, but her smile went beyond "good times." I must admit that I was glad my parents sent me to this camp. For the first time in my life, I knew what it meant to have fun and truly live.
Late one night Toni asked me if I knew where I would go if I died that night. I had no idea. She then told me of this man who could heal people. He could make people walk who had never been able to. I wanted terribly to know this man that she was talking about. I had never heard of anyone living or dead who had been able to do the things Toni said that this man could do. I asked Toni if she could give me his address, so that I could write to him and tell him about my problems. Do you know what she told me? She said that I could tell him about my problems right now if I wanted to. What? She did not even have a phone with her! How could that be?
Toni told me that this man was the Son of God and that His name was Jesus Christ. If I choose to I could ask Him to be my friend, and He would be with me for always. I asked her if it was because of this man that she was always smiling? And she said that yes indeed it was because of Jesus that she always smiled. I wanted that. I wanted that same mark of inner peace and joy. I asked Toni how I could ask Him to be my friend. She told me to pray. She even helped me pray to Him.
When it was time for our parents to come and pick us up, mine discovered a great big smile on my face. I gave Toni my address and asked her to write to me more about Jesus. On the drive back home I told my parents all about Toni and of this man called Jesus. I was so happy and full of life that my parents took me with them and found a church, so we could all learn about Jesus together.
A couple of years ago I got a letter from Toni saying she would soon be going home to see Jesus. Right after camp Toni found out that she had a tumor in her brain. The doctors said they couldn't operate on it. I was so sad. Why did God give me Toni if he wasn't going to let me be her friend for very long? My parents took me to see Toni in the hospital, she looked so thin and frail. I just wanted to cry, but I couldn't because she was still smiling. How, when she was going through all of this pain and suffering, could she still smile? I had always thought that if one smiled it meant that they were happy, but not Toni; she always smiled even now when she was so sick. It made me so mad that she could be so happy when God was making her so sick. I tried to ask God why this was all happening, but I am not any good a praying. Toni told me that she was placed on Earth to tell me about God so that we could be friends forever.
Toni two weeks after that visit she died…she is now home with God. She told me once, that when she got into heaven, she would be able to run and play with the angels. I believed her. Toni I hope that you are having the time of your life up there.
It has now been two years since Toni died. My parents took me to an orthopedics specialist last year and had me fitted for legs. I have learned how to walk without any assistance. If I had never met Toni that summer at camp then I don't think that I would have had the courage to go through with this whole process. Toni changed my life, through her love for God. She gave me a better gift than any other person has ever given me. That gift is the knowledge that I will spend an eternity with God. I know that I will see Toni again. Now let me ask you.......
What if you died tonight?