No limits

When Nick Vujicic was born in 1982 in Brisbane, Australia, his mom cried. She told nurses she couldn’t look at her son.

Both parents were in shock when they saw their baby boy for the first time.

“It took my mom four months to come to peace with that,” Vujicic said.

Saturday, the 31-year-old stood before about 1,000 people in the Kilohana pavilion for the Mayor’s Prayer luncheon. And just like when he was born, he had no arms. He had no legs.

He has no regrets.

“I do not remember the last time I prayed for limbs because I’m already restored. I’m already complete,” he said as the crowd cheered.

God, Vujicic said, may heal him. He may not. It doesn’t matter.

“As beautiful as Hawaii is, Heaven is just a little bit better,” he said, as the crowd cheered.

In a spirited, humorous and encouraging 45-minute talk, Vujicic moved back and forth on the stage. He smiled. He laughed. He turned serious. Throughout, he had the attention of a crowd that often yelled in support of his message, raised it’s hands and kneeled in prayer.

Ronnie Diaz, who attended with his family, loved the message.

“It just shows us how important it is to keep our eyes focused on God, because God could use us no matter what,” Diaz said. “God has no limits.”

Vujicic doesn’t, either. The husband and father has persevered where others gave up. He succeeded where others failed. He believed when others doubted.

“God has a purpose for you to fulfill here on Earth,” he said.

Even without limbs, consider what Vujicic has achieved: He is a husband and father. He is a best-selling author, motivational speaker, evangelist and leader of the nonprofit, Life Without Limbs. He has traveled to over 54 countries and his books have been translated into 30 different languages.

Today, he lives in California with his wife Kanae and son, Kiyoshi, and continues to travel and share words on faith and anti-bullying. His most recent book is “Standing Strong.”

But success, as you might figure, didn’t come easy.

He fought depression. At age 10, he attempted suicide.

“I couldn’t see the love of God in my life,” he said. “For many years, I prayed for arms and legs.”

But he found a way to overcome the bullying, the taunts, the emotional and physical challenges.

“It’s about Jesus,” he said. “I give all the glory and all the honor back to Jesus.”

God, he said, gave him strength and courage that saw him through difficult days.

“More than anybody, he wanted to change my heart,” Vujicic said.

God gave him a sense of humor, too.

Vujicic joked that his parents started a church months before he was born.

“I’m a PK (pastor’s kid). Talk about a disability,” he said.

His son, 1, is already about as tall as dad. In fact, he’s so big for his age, that when he’s out with his mom, people comment, “His dad must be tall.”

“Oh, pretty average,” his wife responds.

Then, there’s the one about whether God will heal him and give him those missing limbs.

“I have a pair of shoes in my closet just in case,” he said, as the crowd laughed.

Vujicic called on people to believe in God and have faith. He said he’s witnessed blind, deaf and lame people healed.

“I couldn’t believe what I saw, even though I prayed for what I saw,” he said.

But not everyone likes Nick Vujicic. In fact, he has at least one sworn enemy.

“I hate the devil. I know he hates me,” he said. “We agree to hate each other.”

He urged men to not focus on goals, greed and glory, but to lead their families and spend time with their children.

“When the men fall, the family falls. When the family falls, the nation falls,” he said.

Invite people to dinner, he said. Visit with friends. Get to know neighbors.

“He wants to use you to be the salt of the Earth, to be the light in a darkened world,” he said.

Vujicic, who will be giving presentations at Kauai schools and on Oahu, delivered a transforming message and challenge to Kauai, said retired pastor Rocky Sasaki,

“He touched our hearts,” Sasaki said.

Jed Young of Kapaa Missionary Church found it inspiring.

“He can use all of us, no matter where we are, what limitations we have,” he said. “We can be used by God.”

• Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.