INNISFAIL – Sometimes when life happens it’s not what we are facing but how we face it that can make a difference.
Vahen King knows all too well about facing life’s difficult challenges.
The 44-year-old motivational speaker and author from Edmonton was in Innisfail recently to share her story of faith and perseverance in a journey that included struggle and uncertainty.
“About 19 years ago I was struck with a virus called transverse myelitis that left me physically disabled and left me to depend totally on other people to eat, sleep and do everyday things,” said King. “It is a rare virus, one in a million (doctors) said.”
That diagnosis came just one week after King became engaged to the man who is now her husband, Vaughan. Together they faced a future that was tested and strengthened by their love for each other and their love for God.
It is that faith that defined her journey and destiny.
“I didn’t plan this and I wouldn’t have chosen it, (but God) has opened doors with this journey,” she said. “He has destined me to be where I am today.”
One major moment on that journey came in the summer of 2017 when King was crowned the first ever Miss Wheelchair Canada in Vancouver.
Several weeks later she won Miss Kindness at the Miss Wheelchair World Pageant in Poland.
Those accomplishments have given King a voice and a platform as a motivational speaker, she said, and to share her story, her struggles and the source of her strength.
“I’ve talked about my journey, my disability and my faith,” said King, adding that part of her journey has been to witness God’s work in her own life.
“I believe God is starting to work a miracle in my life and He’s been healing me from the inside out,” she said, noting she can now stand and take small, unassisted steps.
In addition to speaking engagements, King has also written a book and began a non-profit organization of the same name, Going Farther.
In Innisfail for the first time in early December, she spoke at a Christmas tea at CenterPoint Church and shared a message of hope and peace.
“Today I’m talking about some of the things that God has helped me understand about keeping and maintaining that peace. That is, keeping my focus on Him,” said King. “If we keep looking at all the things that are going wrong, that will cause discontentment and you will never have peace.”
That peace has been with King throughout her journey and she wants others to know they can have it too.
“It’s not that there’s an absence of chaos or pain (in your life), it’s that God is with you in that pain,” said King. “If we can learn to trust in God, there’s no better way to live than to have the peace of God.”
