One day I gave a talk to a group of about three hundred teenage students， probably the biggest group I’d ever addressed. I was sharing my feelings and my faith when something wonderful happened. Now and then students or teachers would shed tears when I told them about challenges I‘d faced， but during this particular talk a girl in the audience completely broke down sobbing. I wasn’t sure what had happened—perhaps I‘d triggered some terrible memory for her. I was amazed when she then summoned the courage to raise her hand to speak， despite her sadness and tears. Bravely， she asked if she could come forward and give me a hug. Wow！ I was fl oored.
I invited her up， and she wiped away her tears as she walked to the front of the room. She then gave me this huge hug， one of the best of my life. By then nearly everyone in the room was teary-eyed， including me. But I lost it entirely when she whispered in my ear：
“Nobody has ever told me that I’m beautiful the way that I am. No one has ever said that they love me，” she said. “You‘ve changed my life， and you are a beautiful person too.”
Up to that point， I was still constantly questioning my own worth. I’d thought of myself as someone who simply gave little talks as a way of reaching out to other teens. First of all she called me “beautiful” （which didn‘t hurt）， but more than anything she gave me that first real inkling that my speaking could help others. This girl changed my perspective. Maybe I really do have something to contribute， I thought.
Experiences like that helped me realize that being “different” just might help me contribute something special to the world. I found that people were willing to listen to me speak because they had only to look at me to know I’d faced and overcome my challenges. I did not lack credibility. Instinctively， people felt I might have something to say that could help them with their own problems.
God has used me to reach people in countless schools， churches， prisons， orphanages， hospitals， stadiums， and meeting halls. Even better， I‘ve hugged thousands of people in face-to-face encounters that allow me to tell them how very precious they are. It’s also my pleasure to assure them that He does have a plan for their lives. God took my unusual body and invested me with the ability to uplift hearts and encourage spirits， just as He says in the Bible： “For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you， plans to give you hope and a future.”
MAKING IT HAPPEN
Life can seem cruel， no doubt about it. Sometimes the bad breaks pile up and you just can‘t see a way out. You may not like the sound of that， but maybe you still aren’t convinced that it can happen for you right now.
The fact is that as mere mortals， you and I have limited vision. We can‘t possibly see what lies ahead. That’s both the bad news and the good news. My encouragement to you is that what lies ahead may be far better than anything you ever thought possible. But it‘s up to you to get over it， get up， and show up！
Whether your life is good and you want to make it better， or whether it’s so bad you just want to stay in bed， the fact is that what happens from this very moment is up to you and your Maker. True， you can‘t control everything. Too often bad stuff happens to people no matter how good they are. It may not be fair that you weren’t born into a life of ease， but if that is your reality， you have to work with it.
You may stumble. Others may doubt you. When I focused on public speaking as a career path， even my parents questioned my decision.
“Don‘t you think that an accounting career， with your own practice， would be more appropriate for your circumstances and provide a better future？” my dad asked.
Yes， from most perspectives a career in accounting probably made more sense for me because I do have a talent for number-crunching. But from an early age I’ve had this absolute passion for sharing my faith and my hope of a better life. When you find your true purpose， passion follows. You absolutely live to pursue it.
If you are still searching for your path in life， know that it‘s okay to feel a little frustration. This is a marathon， not a sprint. Your yearning for more meaning is a sign that you are growing， moving beyond limitations， and developing your talents. It’s healthy to look at where you are from time to time and to consider whether your actions and priorities are serving your highest purpose.
LIGHTING THE WAY
At fifteen years old I made my life right with God， asking Him for forgiveness and for direction. I asked Him to light my path of purpose. After being baptized four years later， I began speaking about my faith to others and knew I had found my calling. My career as a speaker and evangelist grew into a global ministry， and just a few years ago， quite unexpectedly， something happened that lifted my heart even higher and confirmed for me that I‘d chosen the right path.
Nothing felt out of the ordinary on that Sunday morning when I rolled into a California church for a speaking engagement. Unlike most of my appearances， which happened in far-off corners of the world， this one was close to home. The Knott Avenue Christian Church in Anaheim is just down the road from my house.
As I entered in my wheelchair， the choir was beginning its opening song， and the service was starting. I took a seat on a bench at the front as the congregation filled the large church， and I began to mentally prepare for my speech. This would be my first time talking to the people at Knott Avenue， and I didn’t expect they knew much about me， so I was surprised to hear someone calling， “Nick！ Nick！” over the singing voices.
I didn‘t recognize the voice and was not even sure that I was the “Nick” being summoned. But when I turned around， I saw an older gentleman waving directly at me.
“Nick！ Over here！” he shouted again.
Now that he had my attention， he pointed to a younger man standing next to him in the packed church who appeared to be holding a child. There were so many people crowded together that at first I could see only a flash of the toddler’s bright eyes， a thatch of shiny brown hair， and a big gap-toothed baby smile.