LIHU‘E — It is not about having a positive attitude, said Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms or legs who travels the world delivering messages of hope through his Life Without Limbs ministry. You cannot tell a starving or
LIHU‘E — It is not about having a positive attitude, said Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms or legs who travels the world delivering messages of hope through his Life Without Limbs ministry.
You cannot tell a starving or abused child it is just a matter of attitude. It is about giving the broken pieces of one’s life to God, letting God into one’s heart and praying for guidance, he said.
Hope and love through Jesus Christ was at the heart of Vujicic’s Good Friday sermon at Kaua‘i Marriott Resort’s ballroom, where an overflow crowd of an estimated 1,000 attendees gathered for the free event.
The 28-year-old said he had 224 speaking engagements last year and it’s been “quite a journey.” He recalled giving 1,749 hugs in just one hour.
“The scary thing is anybody can pick me up and take me home,” he said, joking.
Having been born with just two toes and given no medical reason why, Vujicic said he has faced many challenges and obstacles in his life, but God has given him the strength to make the impossible possible.
Before taking the stage, screens around the ballroom showed a video of Vujicic golfing, jumping from a diving board and playing soccer.
While visiting Kaua‘i in 2008, Vujicic said he had an opportunity to surf with Bethany Hamilton, a local professional surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing Tunnels.
He was on a longboard strapped to a pile of towels and taken out into the lineup.
“I was really nervous. My palms were sweaty, my knees were shaking. The whole beach was watching me,” he said. “When I finally caught a wave, everyone on the beach started screaming, and I’m screaming ‘Now what do I do? Do I go to the front and hang two?’”
Joking aside, Vujicic spoke about the sense of hopelessness he felt as a child and said at the age of 10 he contemplated suicide. He questioned why his siblings were born with arms and legs and he wasn’t, comparing it to a gift that they received and he did not.
“God, if you love me, why did you give me less?” he recalled. “I believed God owed me an explanation.”
He talked about the way other children treated him in school.
“As a child, you believe what you hear. Every day is battle between lies and truth,” he said. “When you pray, angels come and fight on your behalf. Pray for change. If things don’t change, go to a church, find a counselor.”
He said he thinks it is worse being from a broken home or having a broken heart than living life without limbs.
“Last week, one of my friends committed suicide,” he said. “Tomorrow is promised to no one. What if today was your last day? What hope do you have if not in Jesus Christ? Ask him what his plans are for you.”
For more information about Vujicic and his ministry, visit lifewithoutlimbs.org.
