The Power of Persistence
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I was born, the second child, to my parents in September of 1966. My dad and mom were 25 and 24 respectively. Young, with only one child, they expected no complications and had already one normal pregnancy. When I was born I was a breech birth. During delivery my umbilical cord was pinched, shutting off oxygen to my brain, therefore, causing cerebral palsy. Dr. James Schaffer, a pediatrician, was up all night trying to save my life. They didn’t think I would live. Later they said that my weight at birth (I weighed over nine pounds) helped save my life. My mother knew at the time I was born that things were not right and that something was wrong but the doctors didn’t tell them that I had cerebral palsy until I was about seven months old. At this time I was in the hospital with a rare blood disease. Dr. Schaffer said that they would see two of these cases a year and one would die and said that when I turned eighteen months old he would refer me to the Riley Hospital Cerebral Palsy Clinic. Thus began sixteen years of going back and forth to Indianapolis for a variety of treatments. Almost all the tests they gave me did not work. My mom thinks I was a guinea pig for experiments. What the doctors would tell my parents was that I would probably never walk or sit up on my own. When I was a baby, my mother would prop me up in front of a mirror so I could watch myself. That seemed to strengthen my back. It worked because I did sit up alone and at the age of two and a half I began walking. Riley Hospital is children’s hospital that treats kids with physical and mental problems. There we would see children with all kinds of disabilities. If I ever started to feel sorry for myself, I would remember what I saw when we would make a trip to see the doctor. I didn’t mind these trips because it meant I was able to miss a day of school. Getting out of school as a kid was a big deal, especially when my sister had to go and I didn’t. They tried all kinds of treatments on me when I went to see the doctor. One treatment stands out in my mind that I will never forget. They laid me on my stomach and rubbed this medicine on the calves of my legs and then poked a needle with alcohol in my skin. They would not let my mother go in the room, they made her sit down the hallway. She told me later that she could hear me screaming down the hall. This treatment was supposed to loosen my muscles in the back of my legs. It did just the opposite. It tightened the muscles so bad that I could not walk for a week. They had to carry me out of the hospital that day. We continued to make the trips to the hospital but these trips became less frequent as I got older. The doctors helped me all they could. From that time until now I haven’t had to see a doctor concerning my physical condition. Isn’t the Lord good?
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About the Book
In our lifetimes we all will meet a lot of people. Most of these people will barely become acquaintances. Others may become buddies while still others become good friends. But still even more rare are those special people who will change our lives forever. Kevin Davis has been that kind of friend. He has been a friend, a Christian, and most of all a preacher of the gospel. I first met Kevin during my freshmen year at Christian Life College. We quickly became good friends as we worked together in the Student Senate, helping each other study for exams, being roommates, and most importantly exercising ourselves in the ministry. During the time I’ve known him, Kevin’s testimony and lifestyle have made an impact on my life. After traveling together for a summer and seeing his consistency and work ethic I can only say, “To God be the Glory.” I hope as you read this incredible testimony of how the Lord helped Kevin to overcome cerebral palsy that you too will be blessed. This is not an effort to glorify a man, but to show what powerful things God can do in the life of a committed servant. Every time I want to quit or settle for less than God’s best I remember, the power of persistency. I also pray that your life will be infused with the power of persistency. Thank you Kevin for being an example of the believer and thank you Jesus for giving him the strength to overcome. Rev. Paul Hicks
About the Author
I have to admit that as I read this book as it was being written, I had to stop and ask myself several times, “Where was I when this took place?” It seems that all I remember is that Kevin is my brother and I thought we just had normal everyday lives and everyone lived as we did. Living through it and now seeing it all as in the past all of those early years just kind of blend together. But even then I knew and looking back now I can realize the persistent attitude Kevin displayed. Kevin is not the only person throughout those years that displayed a persistent attitude. Persistence isn’t just a factor in those who face great challenges in life, it’s also a factor for those who are called to help others. The Lord knew exactly who to put in Kevin’s life at exactly the right time to carry him through what he would face at that particular time. The story you will read isn’t just about Kevin. This is about an attitude that each of us needs to strive for no matter what our status in life. This is about being persistent. This is about having a goal or desire and taking risks to fulfill that desire. This is about knowing the will of God and having faith to step out and accomplish that will. The message of Kevin’s personal testimony is clear. With the right attitude, you will prevail. I believe Paul speaks of persistence in Philippians 3:1-14: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”