9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:1-5
Where there is a will there is a way for someone to overcome their barrier and play an instrument they thought they never would.
Manami Ito is a woman of many talents. Not only is she a champion Japanese Paralympic swimmer and nurse by trade, she also plays the violin beautifully. This list of accomplishments alone would be quite impressive, but with Ito, it’s even more so because she only has one arm. Ito’s lack of limb doesn’t appear to present a problem as she uses a minimal prosthetic arm that moves and flexes smoothly with the bow.
For some folks, tragedy can really take a toll on them and change their lives completely. But for others, it's an opportunity to see what they're made of. Just ask Manami, a 33-year-old violinist who lost her arm in a horrible car crash in 2004. But just because life got in the way, Manami wouldn't let anything step in the way of her happiness. In 2004, 33-year-old Manami Ito was in a horrible car accident and lost her right arm. After such a terrible loss, most people would lay in bed and never get up. But she wasn’t about to let this stop her from enjoying life.
A lot has happened since the accident. Ito could have put her life on hold, but she didn’t succumb to the pain. She found a way to balance her physical rehabilitation with her studies. Eventually, her hard work paid off and she became a certified nurse.
She figured that if they could play sports, then so could she. In 2007, she took up swimming, and she made it to 4th place in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. Then in 2012, she made it to 8th place in the London Paralympics.
She started playing the violin with a regular prosthetic arm. But eventually, she received a limb that was more lightweight and made playing the violin so much easier.
She's Japan's only one-armed violinist and she's really awesome. Her life might have hit a snag in 2004, but Ito found an inspiring way to turn an advantage into a disadvantage.
In John 9 Jesus and his disciples were passing by a blind man. One of his disciples asked who sinned that he was born blind. Was it him, or his parents. Jesus was quick to respond with these words, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. In other words, God can use anyone regardless of the barriers they have in this life. The violinist is one example of someone who defied all odds and through a combination of physical rehabilitation and determination was able to pick up the violin and play once again.
God can help you do anything you set your mind on doing, regardless of the physical, emotional or cognitive barriers you may be facing.
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