THE POWER OF UNSTOPPABLE FAITH - WaterBrook & Multnomah

Excerpted from The Power of Unstoppable Faith by Nick VujicicCopyright 2014 by Nick Vujicic. Excerpted by permission ofWaterBrook Press, a division of Penguin Random House. All rightsreserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprintedwithout permission in writing from the publisher.THE POWER OFUNSTOPPABLEFAITHPower of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 16/11/14 10:38 AM

THE POWER OFUNSTOPPABLEFAITHYour Keys to a Fulfilled LifeNICK VUJICICInternational best-selling author of Life Without LimitsPower of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 36/11/14 10:38 AM

The Power of Unstoppable FaithPublished by WaterBrook Press12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921Scripture quotations are taken or paraphrased from the followingversions: The Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV .Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc.TM Used by permission ofZondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. TheNew King James Version . Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc.Used by permission. All rights reserved.This booklet has been adapted from Unstoppable, copyright 2012 byNicholas James Vujicic, published by WaterBrook Press.Details in some anecdotes and stories have been changed to protect theidentities of the persons involved.ISBN 978-1-60142-676-5eBook ISBN 978-1-60142-677-2Copyright 2014 by Nicholas James VujicicCover design by Kristopher K. Orr; cover photography by Allen MozoAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying and recording, or by any information storageand retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprintof the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC,New York, a Penguin Random House Company.WaterBrook and its deer colophon are registered trademarks ofRandom House LLC.Printed in the United States of America2014—First Edition10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Special SalesMost WaterBrook Multnomah books are available at special quantitydiscounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations,and special-interest groups. Custom imprinting or excerpting canalso be done to fit special needs. For information, please e-mailSpecialMarkets@WaterBrookMultnomah.com or call 1-800-603-7051.Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 46/11/14 10:38 AM

As the cover photograph on this bookletmakes most obvious, you can see that Iwas born without arms or legs, or as my momhas said many times, I was missing a few “bitsand pieces”! What you cannot see from thephoto, though, is that my lack of limbs hasnot kept me from enjoying great adventures,—1—Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 16/11/14 10:38 AM

Nick Vujicica fulfilling and meaningful career, and lovingrelationships.How have I been able to do that? Believeme, it’s not because I’m some kind of superhero type of person. What I have received byGod’s grace, though, is faith. And this abilityto live with faith is available to everyone.In this booklet my goal is to share withyou what I call the power of unstoppablefaith, which has helped me create a ridiculously good life despite my disabilities.Unstoppable faith is all about both believing and achieving. It’s about having faithin yourself, your talents, your purpose, and,most of all, in God’s love and His divine planfor your life.Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 2—2—6/11/14 10:38 AM

T he Power of Unstoppable Fa ithE arly FaithMy parents have always been there for me.They did not coddle me. They disciplinedme when I needed it and gave me room tomake my own mistakes. Most of all, they arewonderful role models.I was their first child and definitely a surprise package. Despite doing all the usualmaternity tests, my mother’s doctor detectedno indication that I would come into theworld with neither arms nor legs. My motherwas an experienced nurse who had assisted inhundreds of deliveries, so she took every precaution during her pregnancy.Needless to say, she and my father were—3—Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 36/11/14 10:38 AM

Nick Vujicicquite stunned that I arrived without limbs.They are devout Christians. In fact, my father was a lay pastor. My parents prayed forguidance while I underwent many days oftesting after my birth.Like all babies, I did not come with aninstruction book, but my parents sure wouldhave welcomed a little guidance. They knewof no other parents who’d raised a child without limbs in a world designed for people witha complete set.Mum and Dad were distraught at first, asany parents would be. Anger, guilt, fear, depression, despair—their emotions ran awaywith them for the first week or so. Many tearswere shed. They grieved for the perfectlyPower of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 4—4—6/11/14 10:38 AM

T he Power of Unstoppable Fa ithformed child they’d envisioned but didnot receive. They grieved, too, because theyfeared that my life would be very difficult.When my parents had exhausted all themedical resources in Australia, they soughthelp for me in Canada and the United Statesand anywhere else in the world that offeredhope and information. They never did uncover a full medical explanation for my condition, though many theories were offered.My brother, Aaron, and sister, Michelle, wereborn a few years later with the standard package of limbs, so a genetic defect did not appear to be the problem.My parents could not imagine what planGod had in mind for such a boy. Yet, once—5—Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 56/11/14 10:38 AM

Nick Vujicicthey’d recovered from their initial shock,they decided to put their trust in God. Theygave up their attempts to understand whyGod had given them such a child. Instead,they surrendered to His plan, whatever itmight be, and then went about raising me asbest they could, the only way they could:pouring into me all their love one day at atime.They exhibited unstoppable faith.Custom M adefor a P urposeAfter a while, the why of my creation becamefar less important to my parents than the howPower of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 6—6—6/11/14 10:38 AM

T he Power of Unstoppable Fa ithof my survival. How would this boy learn tobe mobile without legs? How would he carefor himself? How would he go to school?How would he ever support himself as anadult? None of this concerned little baby me,of course. I had no idea that my body wasn’tthe standard issue. I thought people stared atme because I was so adorable. I also believedI was indestructible and unstoppable. Mypoor parents could hardly contain their fearsas I routinely flung myself like a humanbeanbag off the couch and onto the floor,over car seats, and around the yard.You can imagine their concern whenthey first caught me skateboarding down asteep hill. Look, Mom, no hands! Despite—7—Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 76/11/14 10:38 AM

Nick Vujicictheir loving efforts to provide me with wheelchairs and other apparatuses, I stubbornlydeveloped my own approaches to mobility.The skin on my forehead grew as thick as thesoles of most feet because I insisted on raisingmyself from a prone position by bracing itagainst walls, furniture, or any other stationary object and then slowly wriggling my wayupright.To the horror of many innocent bystanders, I also tended to plunge into swimmingpools and lakes after I discovered I couldswim and remain buoyant by keeping a bit ofair in my lungs while paddling about withmy little foot. That handy little appendagewould prove to be invaluable after an oper-Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 8—8—6/11/14 10:38 AM

T he Power of Unstoppable Fa ithation was done to separate two fused toes,allowing me to manipulate them with surprising dexterity. With the arrival of cellphones and notebook computers, I could usemy foot to type and text, which also provedto be a blessing.As you might imagine, my greatesthurdles came in adolescence, the time in lifewhen we are all trying to figure out who weare and how we fit in—or don’t fit in.Even though I had many friends and waspopular in school, there were bullies who tormented me. More than once, cruel commentswere thrown my way. Despite my naturallyoptimistic and determined spirit, I becameincreasingly aware that I would never look—9—Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 96/11/14 10:38 AM

Nick Vujiciclike everyone else, nor would I be able to doall of the things that normally configuredpeople can do.As much as I tried to make jokes about mylack of limbs, I was increasingly tormentedby the thought that I would be a burden onthose who loved me, because I wouldn’t beable to support myself. My other great fearwas that I would never be able to marry andhave my own family, because no womanwould want a husband who couldn’t hug her,protect her, or hold their children.I fretted constantly and my thoughtsturned dark. I could not imagine why Godwould create me to suffer such deprivationand loneliness. I wondered if He was punish-Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 10— 10 —6/11/14 10:38 AM

T he Power of Unstoppable Fa ithing me or if He was even aware of me. WasI a mistake? How can a God who loves all ofHis children be so cruel?Between the ages of eight and ten, thosedarkening thoughts triggered despair anddestructive impulses. I began contemplatingsuicide. I’d find myself plotting to leap off ahigh ledge or to drown myself in the bathtub,where my parents had no fear of leaving mesince I had learned to swim.Finally, I did make an attempt at suicidein the bathtub when I was ten years old. Itried a couple of times to roll and hold myface under water, but I could not go throughwith it. I kept thinking of the grief and guiltthat would burden my parents for the rest of— 11 —Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 116/11/14 10:38 AM

Nick Vujicictheir lives if I took my own life. I could notdo that to them.At that lowest point I couldn’t see thatmy life had a purpose. If I couldn’t supportmyself and wasn’t worthy of love from awoman, what good was I? My fear was thatI’d float through life, alone and a burden onmy family. My youthful despair was rootedin a lack of faith in myself and in my purpose. I could not see my path, and so I didnot believe it was possible for me to have apurposeful and fulfilling life. Because Godhad not granted my request for a miracle thatwould give me arms and legs, I lost faith inHim too.You may have had a similar experience.Power of Unstoppable Faith final.indd 12— 12 —6/11/14 10:38 AM

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lously good life despite my disabilities. Unstoppable faith is all about both - be lieving . and . achieving. . so she took every pre-caution during her pregnancy. Needless to say, she and my father were . far less important to my parents than the . how .