Issue 4 | 2023

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IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR MY ACCIDENT, I WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD SUCH A STORY OF INSPIRATION. Parker and his parents, Jeff and Mitzi, are grateful for new opportunities to share God’s goodness at special events. While in physical rehab, Parker encouraged his teammates and rallied the ECU fans from the sidelines. The Challenged Athlete Foundation arranged for Parker to throw out the first pitch at the Houston Astros game, April 19, 2023. wound. We had our miracle! The doctors could not explain the return of blood but gladly postponed the surgery. Then, blood began to flow through the once-dry veins. My knee was saved. This was great news, but it didn’t erase the reality of my new situation or the pain I would face in the coming months. It was hard to reconcile Jeremiah 29:11’s promise of God’s good plan with this painful mess. I even told Him, “God, I’ve always trusted You have a plan. But this plan doesn’t feel so good.” I didn’t know what to make of it all, but I felt God reminding me that His plan never intends harm. Somehow, He would bring good out of this pain; I just had to trust Him. He assured me, losing my leg wouldn’t be the end of my dreams. I had plenty of opportunities to get angry with myself, God, and others. But I couldn’t let anger and blame have any place in my life if I wanted to move forward. I had to trust God’s love for me and stay humble. I had to start at ground zero, put one foot in front of the other, and learn how to walk again. And it wasn’t easy. I talked to myself a lot. “Get up, Parker. Keep going. You can do it—God’s with you! You will play again.” It didn’t matter that I didn’t know of any other leg amputees playing ball in Division 1 baseball. But doesn’t there always have to be a first? So why not me? I remembered the saying, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” In baseball, it didn’t matter that I had natural talent. Even with both legs, I’d had to work hard to succeed. So it was time to get off my rear and do my part to onto Lewis Field as a shortstop for the ECU Pirates. I still have a ways to go physically, but I’m sticking to my goal of being 1 percent better each day. Sometimes it feels like I’m going in reverse, but progress often feels that way. I just have to keep my eyes on the goal. When I’m back on the field, I hope people do more than admire my comeback. I hope they are inspired to get into the game of life. One lady told me recently that I’d inspired her to take the stairs instead of the elevator. That’s the kind of inspiration I’m talking about. It’s hard for me to believe my life today. This Southern teen, who admittedly mumbles his words, is now a public mouthpiece for God. If it hadn’t been for my accident, I would never have had such a story of inspiration. God has taken my life and the game of baseball and given them an eternal purpose. Maybe, like me, you are facing a painful trial that came out of nowhere, and you’re left confused and wondering, “God, what’s up with this plan? It hurts.” Please know there is still hope. Trust God and obey Him. Lean into Him and refuse to give up. In time, you’ll make it. God will take the messes of your life and work through them for your good and His glory (Romans 8:28). Don’t listen to the negativity around you, especially that nasty voice in your head. No one but God and you can determine your future. You might not see the good of His plan as quickly as I did, but it’s coming. So don’t give up. God is on your side, and that’s enough. Remember, with Him, all things are possible. experience God’s plan. Otherwise, it would never come to fruition. Faith takes action. PARKER BYRD is an East Carolina University student and baseball team member. You’ll find him It’s been 15 months since my accident, sharing his inspiring story at various venues when and today, I’m medically cleared to play he’s not studying, working out, or swinging the bat baseball. In February 2024, I hope to step with his teammates. 18 Issue 04 / 2023 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BYRD FAMILY
STEPPING FORWARD Be the One to Tell Them BY CHRISTINA KIMBREL PHOTO BY LAUREN JONES ONE SCORCHING SUMMER DAY, I was sitting at a stoplight when a man approached my car. He was holding a sign that read, “Homeless, hungry. Please help.” I let him pass by, but I kept watching him in my rearview mirror. I noticed that every few steps, he would fall asleep where he was standing. His eyes would close, and he’d sway back and forth. Then, he would slump headfirst toward the ground until something would startle him awake and he’d move on. His feet were near the curb, and I worried he might slip and fall into oncoming traffic. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to help. What should I do, Lord? Experience told me this man wasn’t tired from the wear and tear of homelessness in the hot Arizona sun. As I observed him from my air-conditioned car, I remembered the decades I had spent as a junkie strung out on heroin, when the streets had been my home. I’d lived under bridges and in abandoned houses, and I’d hustled for money in neighborhoods known for drugs and prostitution. I was in the grips of my addiction, and it showed. But there at that traffic light, God didn’t let me linger on the traumatic memories; He used a different one to speak to my heart. I remember standing at a crosswalk one day when a woman called out from her car, “Good morning, beautiful. Are you hungry?” She didn’t wait for me to answer. She looked me in the eyes through her open window and said, “Jesus loves you, sweetheart.” She flashed a huge smile, handed me a warm breakfast sandwich and a couple of dollars, then drove away. I never saw her again. Whoever she was, she had looked past my skimpy outfit and the track marks on my arms to let me know, in a tangible way, that God loves me. Remembering her stirred my heart and encouraged me to do the same for this man. I didn’t have any food, but I did have a few dollars and some bottles of water in the car. That was enough—I’d been given the opportunity to let this man know that God loves him, and I was ready. I rolled down my window and called out to him. At the sound of my voice, he stood up straight and rushed to my car. He gave me the biggest smile as I handed him the money and the water. “How’d you know I was thirsty?” he asked. I smiled and answered, “I didn’t, but God did, and He loves you.” The light turned green, and the man stepped away. Tears streamed down my face as I thanked the Lord for this encounter. Through that gentleman, God had reminded me that He can use anyone who’s willing to reach His lost and hurting children. He does it through one compassionate act at a time. I love how Jesus handled people begging along the roadside (Mark 10:46–52). He didn’t waste time sizing them up or making assumptions about how they got there. Instead, He engaged with them in conversation and let them know that He saw them. He met their needs and loved them. (Read the Gospel accounts to see Jesus’s compassionate interactions with people of all backgrounds.) There is no shortage of opportunities to implement what Jesus taught us. Every day, in every city and on every street, we encounter suffering people. But homelessness and drug addiction are often symptoms of a greater, spiritual problem. It doesn’t matter who a person is or what they’ve done. It’s none of our business whether the sign they hold is true, how beaten down they look, or whether they are on drugs. Our only business is to show them the love of God without judgment. After all, as Romans 10:14 asks, “How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (NLT). May we always be prepared to give a reason for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15). CHRISTINA KIMBREL serves as VL’s production manager. Once incarcerated and bound to her addiction, she now ministers hope to those held captive by their circumstances while sharing the message of healing she’s found in Jesus. VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM Issue 04 / 2023 19
Page 1 and 2: REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL H
Page 3 and 4: ISSUE 4, OCTOBER 2023 “Surely it
Page 5 and 6: ISSUE 4, OCTOBER 2023 CONTENTS PHOT
Page 7 and 8: Through the stories of Victorious L
Page 9 and 10: STEPPING FORWARD ONE IN A WORLD OF
Page 11 and 12: the city would visit my neighborhoo
Page 13 and 14: TRANSFORMED LIVES You Have a Family
Page 15 and 16: TRANSFORMED LIVES word “orphan”
Page 17: PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BYRD FAMILY
Page 21 and 22: My first position was as a mule, tr
Page 23 and 24: PHOTO BY ARIZONA PORTRAITS cessful
Page 25 and 26: TRANSFORMED LIVES The Prison of Bit
Page 27 and 28: PHOTO COURTESY OF STEF CABANISS But
Page 29 and 30: STEPPING FORWARD Look for the Bless
Page 31 and 32: PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL FAY I had no
Page 33 and 34: WANT TO KNOW JESUS? “Come to me,

Issue 4 | 2023

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