Stepping sideways down the pew while trying not to stumble on anyone’s feet, twenty-year-old Brent Schulz made it to his usual place next to his parents.  After greeting the people around him, he opened the church bulletin and skimmed it.   Nothing in it caught his attention until he read about the special guest speaker.

                 Brent turned to his mom and raised an eyebrow.  “Where’s Pastor Keller?”

                 “He’s on vacation.  Last week he announced he was going to Florida for two weeks, remember?”

                   Brent shook his head.  Tired from staying out late partying with his friends, he hadn’t paid attention to Pastor Keller’s sermon.  Brent's friends had proven to be a nice distraction from his humdrum life.  He tried to forget about being the mail and errand boy at his dad’s law firm and the fact he still lived with his parents. 

                   Brent rubbed his chin as his mind wandered.   I don’t know what to do with my life.  Maybe I could inspect oil and gas lines like Uncle Rick.   His job pays very well, and he gets to travel around the world.   Then again, I’m not much on welding. Maybe college is the best option for my future, but-          

                   His dad’s voice broke his train of thought. “Pastor Keller told me after the last council meeting that Deacon Dickinson had asked a young woman from his home church to speak this week.  He watched a DVD of one of her speeches and said her story was inspirational.”

                   Leaning back, Brent moaned.  Inspirational is code for boring.   I could’ve slept in this morning.  Missing church one time wouldn’t have hurt me. 

                    The church bell rang as the acolyte lit the candles on the altar.  When the deacon and a woman in a motorized wheelchair moved down the aisle, Brent’s eyes widened.  She used the wooden ramp to get up the eight-inch step, and then they took their respective places on either side of the stage.

                    After the liturgist finished reading the announcements and prayer requests, the deacon walked to the pulpit and smiled.                            “Good morning.  It’s great to see a good crowd here today.  As you all know, Pastor Keller’s away on a well-deserved vacation, but we have a treat this morning.  I’ve asked a special young woman, Sarah Hicks, from my home church to tell her inspiring story.  I’ve watched her grow up, and I saw her determination from an early age to prove she could become more than people thought possible.  She’s a living testament that anyone can overcome obstacles and become whatever they wish to be.  The best part of her being here today is you won’t have to sit through a long sermon of mine.”

                    A peal of light laughter filled the church’s sanctuary.

                    “I think it’s time I turn the floor over to Sarah.” Deacon Dickinson motioned to her.   “Would you come to the middle of the stage?”

                    Sarah rolled the chair with ease to the spot.

                    Brent found Sarah rather appealing with long auburn hair and green eyes.  Her blue shirt complimented her ivory skin.  Sarah had a small laptop and what appeared to be a stick on her tray.  Her arms hung on either side of her wheelchair.  

                    What happened to her? Brent wondered.

                    After the deacon put the microphone stand in front of Sarah, made a height adjustment, and put the stick in her mouth, Sara pushed a couple of keys, and a computerized voice spoke.

                    “Good morning. My name is Sarah Hicks, and I'm glad to be here with all of you at your church on this beautiful Sunday morning.  Today, I'm going to tell you about my life.   My journey through the education system, about what being handicapped has taught me and how my Christian faith has helped me to deal with my disability and to go forward with my future.”

                    Brent leaned forward to hear every word.  Sarah’s story enthralled him.  She told them she had been born with Cerebral Palsy twenty-five years ago, and rather than feeling sorry for herself, Sarah fought to get a good education and have people treat her like everybody else.  Sarah aimed to prove the doctors and the naysayers, who said she wouldn’t go far with her life wrong. 

                    Sarah paused to straighten her mouth stick and glanced up to peek at the congregation.  She pushed a couple of keys so she could continue with her speech.

                    “I relied on God and my parents to help me.  I credit them for making my wish to get an education like everyone else come true.  With their faith in me, they convinced the members of the Katy ISD school board that I should be in regular classes instead of in Special Ed.”

                    Listening to her struggles and triumphs, Brent choked up.  He chastised himself while examining his own life.

                    I had it easy, Brent thought.  Unlike Sarah, I didn’t have to prove that I could learn because I wasn’t handicapped.  She must have spent hours doing homework and projects, where I procrastinated doing mine until the last minute.  I got mostly C’s all through school and didn’t take school seriously.  With hard work, Sarah graduated high school as an honor student and ranked almost in the top ten percent in her class, and then went to college.

                    Brent shook his head in self-disgust.  I graduated from high school at the bottom of my class.  Even though I went to a junior college, I quit after a semester.  I could have put in twice as much effort and did as well as Sarah.  What was I thinking?  If I go back to school, then I can make something better with my life, as she did.

                    Glancing at the ceiling, Brent sucked in a haggard breath. What if I let my parents and myself down if I quit again?  He looked down at his hands and shook his head.  I need to buck up and stop being afraid. 

                     His ears perked up at Sarah’s next words.  “One thing my handicap has taught me is that you must pursue your dreams and never let fear stop you.   Fear and doubt are the only obstacles standing in your way. They’re hindrances, and they can’t be allowed to prevent you from realizing your dreams.   You must push through them, and then there’s nothing else to stop you from achieving your dreams.”

                     Sarah's empowering words gave Brent a newfound determination.  He couldn’t allow his fears and doubts to stop him from going back to school. 

                      I just need to take it slow at first.  If Sarah can do it, so can I.   At least my path will be easier than hers.

                      Brent gave a resolute nod. With a lot of work, I can earn a college degree.  Then he glanced at his parents.  When I decide on a career, it won’t matter much if Mom and Dad aren’t pleased with it, just as long as I’m happy doing something I love.
                      He closed his eyes, sighed and smiled, and listened to the end of Sarah’s speech. 

                      "Since graduating from Texas A&M University, I’ve been working at a web marketing company and making speeches on the weekends.  Hopefully, I can continue to speak at more schools and churches about my life and inspire hope.  I want to encourage others to follow their dreams.  I hope you found my story interesting.  Thank you for making me feel welcome, and I hope to return soon."

                      Once Sarah rolled back to her spot on the left side of the stage, Deacon Dickinson took over.

                      After the offering, Lord’s Prayer, and the closing hymn, people began walking out of the sanctuary. Brent took huge strides towards the foyer.  He spotted Sarah, surrounded by people talking to her.  While waiting for the crowd to die down, Brent told his parents that he would see them at home.  When Sarah was alone, Brent approached her.

                       Brent looked at Sarah and smiled.  He extended his hand, and Sarah lifted hers from the tray, opened it up as wide as she could, and shook his hand. 

                       “Hi, I’m Brent Schulz.”

                       With her mouth stick, Sarah pushed a sequence of keys on her laptop. “I’m pleased to meet you, Brent.”

                        Brent’s heart jumped to his throat.  He realized she was an intelligent woman trapped in a body she couldn’t really control.  Shuddering, he tried to push away the truth that had he not listened to her story, he would have labeled her as a mentally disabled person and wouldn’t have bothered to get to know her.

                        Brent knelt so their eyes could meet.  “I wanted to tell you that you helped me make a decision.” 

                        Sarah raised an eyebrow.

                        “I’m planning to go back to college next semester.”  He swallowed hard.  “You helped me see I can do it if I work hard enough, like you.”

                        Tears were forming in Sarah’s eyes. 

                        Brent’s heart stopped.  Afraid he’d said something wrong, he started to apologize, but she began typing again.

                        When Sarah finished writing what she wanted to tell him, he heard:  “That’s wonderful.   I’m glad you’re going back to school, and I helped you in some small way to make that decision.  I know it won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it.”

                        Deacon Dickinson approached them and told Sarah her parents were waiting outside.  She nodded her acknowledgment.  She put her mouth stick in its holder, locked her eyes on his, and said in her actual, damaged voice, “Bye.”

                        Brent squeaked out, “Bye. “

                       Sarah gave him a big smile and then rolled away.

                       Brent watched Sarah roll into the van.  After the ramp folded up and the back door closed automatically, they drove away. 

                        Brent stood for a moment, thinking how glad he was that he had attended church that morning.  He thanked God that Sarah had helped him see the path he needed to take to a brighter future.  He would never forget her.  She was indeed a very special speaker.