I’m always on the lookout for inspirational stories. Especially when I can use them to challenge church members who think they have nothing to offer due to age, injury or sickness. Over the years, I have enjoyed helping those who face physical challenges find their place of service within the church. I am encouraged by those that could use their disability as an excuse, but choose not to and find new ways to serve the Lord. I am a firm believer in the fact that as long as there is life in you, the Lord is not finished with you.
One of these inspirational stories of persistence is about a 24-year-old named Travis Gilmore. Around 2020, Gilmore sustained a spinal cord injury that left him with limited hand function. Before his injury, Gilmore loved being active and doing things on his own. When everyday tasks suddenly became more complicated, he found himself searching for ways to regain pieces of that independence. Cooking became one of those ways to find purpose.
According to Ashley Vega, a writer for People, Gilmore started sharing cooking videos online in 2022, nearly two years after his spinal cord injury. At first, the videos were simply a way to document the adaptations that helped him stay independent. Over time, however, they became something more.
According to Gilmore, "Cooking became one of the ways I could challenge myself and prove that I was still capable of doing things independently," he says. "Every adaptation I came up with was another reminder that life wasn't over. It was just different. Cooking became something I genuinely enjoyed again, and now it's one of my favorite ways to spend time with family and friends."
In his videos he shows how he had to modified tools to complete recipes. Other old favorites required him to approach them entirely different. Every successful meal became proof that there was still a path forward, even if it looked different than before.
"There are difficult days, frustrations and challenges that come with a spinal cord injury, but there are also funny moments and a lot of good things," Gilmore says. "I don't want people to feel sorry for me, and I don't want disability content to be all sadness and gloom." He goes on, "I hope people realize that life can still be meaningful and fulfilling even when it doesn't go according to plan. The biggest lesson I've learned is that you're capable of far more than you think."
Travis Gilmore article in People Magazine
Travis Gilmore on Instagram
I love to reflect on stories like these. We all have bad days, but most of us do not have to spend them in a wheelchair with a spinal injury. People who are happiest in life are those who have learned to make the most out of what they have been given, each day they are given. We learn early on that “life is not fair,” so why add to the negativity when life throws you for a curve. With the healthy bodies and resources we have been given, why do we not do more to show our appreciation to the Lord by serving others? Service doesn’t always mean taking the lead on a major project, it can simply mean taking part in what others are trying to do and joining the Lord in the work that is before us. Waking up with a sense of purpose (God allowed you to wake up) is all you need to get you going. Ask the Lord to show you, and He will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Serving the Savior,
Bro. Jonathan
One of these inspirational stories of persistence is about a 24-year-old named Travis Gilmore. Around 2020, Gilmore sustained a spinal cord injury that left him with limited hand function. Before his injury, Gilmore loved being active and doing things on his own. When everyday tasks suddenly became more complicated, he found himself searching for ways to regain pieces of that independence. Cooking became one of those ways to find purpose.
According to Ashley Vega, a writer for People, Gilmore started sharing cooking videos online in 2022, nearly two years after his spinal cord injury. At first, the videos were simply a way to document the adaptations that helped him stay independent. Over time, however, they became something more.
According to Gilmore, "Cooking became one of the ways I could challenge myself and prove that I was still capable of doing things independently," he says. "Every adaptation I came up with was another reminder that life wasn't over. It was just different. Cooking became something I genuinely enjoyed again, and now it's one of my favorite ways to spend time with family and friends."
In his videos he shows how he had to modified tools to complete recipes. Other old favorites required him to approach them entirely different. Every successful meal became proof that there was still a path forward, even if it looked different than before.
"There are difficult days, frustrations and challenges that come with a spinal cord injury, but there are also funny moments and a lot of good things," Gilmore says. "I don't want people to feel sorry for me, and I don't want disability content to be all sadness and gloom." He goes on, "I hope people realize that life can still be meaningful and fulfilling even when it doesn't go according to plan. The biggest lesson I've learned is that you're capable of far more than you think."
Travis Gilmore article in People Magazine
Travis Gilmore on Instagram
I love to reflect on stories like these. We all have bad days, but most of us do not have to spend them in a wheelchair with a spinal injury. People who are happiest in life are those who have learned to make the most out of what they have been given, each day they are given. We learn early on that “life is not fair,” so why add to the negativity when life throws you for a curve. With the healthy bodies and resources we have been given, why do we not do more to show our appreciation to the Lord by serving others? Service doesn’t always mean taking the lead on a major project, it can simply mean taking part in what others are trying to do and joining the Lord in the work that is before us. Waking up with a sense of purpose (God allowed you to wake up) is all you need to get you going. Ask the Lord to show you, and He will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Serving the Savior,
Bro. Jonathan
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