It's Holy Week and we all have our own ways of doing 'reflections'. As Christians, we were taught to remember that great sacrifice of Jesus coming down to earth to save us from our sins. A lot has been said about this and true, there will never be any deed as powerful as that!
But, is it enough just to know that and be thankful about it? What have we been doing to become deserving of such grace and mercy? Holy week is only 7 days, what happens to the remaining 358 days of the year?
These are the questions we should be reflecting as we go through this season. More than being religious and superficial, we must know what it's really all about. We must know what our 'crosses' are, and how to die on it, just as Jesus did!
I will be posting a series of people who, I think, know how to carry and die on their own cross. I hope they will serve as inspiration for us all who still refuse to do the same.
Kyle Maynard: Accepting 'No Excuses'
http://www.kmaynard.com/index.html
Kyle was born March 24, 1986, with a rare disorder called, Congenital Amputation. This left Kyle with only three major joints: a neck and two shoulders. He has learned to live life independently, without prosthetics. Kyle figured out how to eat on his own easily with standard silverware. He has impeccable handwriting and can type 50 words a minute. Despite his physical differences, Kyle was one of the top wrestlers in Georgia in his senior year of high school. His visit to the 2004 Georgia State Wrestling Championships left him with an impressive record of 35-16. Kyle is now attending the University of Georgia and has begun training in Jiu-Jitsu and competing in the sport of submission wrestling. He has participated in many sports, including swimming, baseball, street hockey, football, and wrestling, all without the aid of prosthetics. His wrestling style is unique, using his head like a battering ram and limbs like clubs. Kyle and his high school coach, Cliff Ramos, invented new wrestling moves such as the "jawbreaker" and "buzz saw" that take advantage of Kyle's low center of gravity and superior strength.
It is with the love and encouragement of his family that Kyle has overcome his physical shortcomings to turn into the man he is today. Kyle admits that family and friends deserve the most credit for his success. Kyle is the oldest child of the Maynard family and has three younger sisters.
Kyle's academic and sport accomplishments are the fruits of what truly makes him an outstanding person ---his faith, attitude, and perseverance. Kyle does not think in terms of limitations, but only in accomplishments. One of Kyle's favorite sayings is, "It's not what I can do; it's what I WILL do."
As an infant, Kyle's father stressed self-reliance, often telling his more sympathetic wife, "If he does not figure out how to eat on his own, he's going to starve." Kyle's father really wanted Kyle to learn to be fully independent so he could live in the world on his own. Along with his parents' love and support, Kyle's maternal grandparents also showered him with love and compassion. His grandmother, Betty, was especially influential. She gave him wonderful foundational lessons in life and faith that Kyle still carries to this day. An example of Grandma Betty's influence would be the times she took him to the grocery store. People would often stare at Kyle at such a young age.
During one of their grocery visits Kyle finally asked: "Grandma, why am I different from other kids?" She replied, "God made you special, and it's okay to be different. No two people are ever going to be exactly the same." Upon Kyle's further questions about feeling different and wanting to fit in and be accepted, Grandma Betty reassured Kyle that he was normal and that God loved him like everyone else. She also encouraged him to show himself friendly and to introduce himself to people. From this he learned how to see people as equally precious in God's eyes. This is part of his faith and a lesson his family has taught him time and again.
Church and the Christian faith have played an important role in his family. Kyle has shown strong faith and relies on God and prayers for strength. Through all his challenges he has learned perseverance and he prayed that Jesus would show him the right way to meet them. Kyle believes God made him the way he is in order to show people that there is no amount of adversity that a single person cannot overcome if they fully trust themselves and trust in the will of Jesus, no matter what the circumstances. Kyle prays and God delivers the answers.
The story of Kyle Maynard transcends the sport of wrestling. It sends a message of hope to those who must persevere in overcoming insurmountable odds. What many of us would consider a handicap, Kyle uses as a gift. It is not only Kyle’s attitude towards wrestling that endures him into the hearts of those he comes into contact with, but also, his passion and zest for life that is equally contagious. He may only stand three feet tall, but he is truly a giant amongst men.
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