In Before You Say Goodbye we have included stories of real Canadian youth and young adults. Ashley’s faith journey is one we could all learn from. Watch her video below.
I was born with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that causes your muscles to spasm and be very tight all of the time. I had spinal surgery when I was two, to help alleviate some of the muscle spasms. When I was younger, I remember driving with my dad and deciding to ask him why he didn’t believe in God. His answer was short and sweet- he looked at me and said, “You. If there is a god out there that is so “good”, then why would he cause something so little so much suffering?”
That could have been the end of my faith story right there. It would have been easy for me to turn my back on God and walk away but thankfully, God had other plans. In my late teens I met Jesus, and He made it very clear to me that He was going to use me, exactly how I am, to shine some light into the world. Little did I know that those plans would include traveling all over the world while riding a horse, but time and time again God has reminded me that you don’t have to be perfect in order for Him to use you. The world may see my disability as a weakness, but God sees an opportunity to get behind people’s walls and plant seeds of hope, and for that I am humbled and will joyful go wherever He calls me. Ashley Gowenlock