Everything Is Possible Read online

  © 2016 by Jen Bricker

  Published by Baker Books

  a division of Baker Publishing Group

  P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

  www.bakerbooks.com

  Ebook edition created 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  ISBN 978-1-4934-0529-9

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

  Scripture quotations labeled AMP are from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

  Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011

  Scripture quotations labeled GW are from GOD’S WORD®. © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.

  Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

  “The almost fairy-tale beauty of this powerful and hopefilled story could be anyone’s catalyst to reach new heights and dream bigger!”

  Nick Vujicic, speaker and author of Unstoppable, Life without Limits, and Love without Limits

  “Jen Bricker’s fearlessness, faith, and unflinching determination prove that anyone with passion and a sense of purpose can achieve their greatest dreams. I’m inspired by her—and you will be too!”

  Eva Longoria, actress, producer, director, activist

  “Everything Is Possible was a delight to read. It has stayed with me every day since I read it. Her tales of courage, adversity, inspiration, and humor make it well worth spending time with her on this incredible journey.”

  Pauley Perrette, actress, writer, singer

  “Sometimes people are born under extraordinary circumstances and go on to live fairly ordinary lives. Sometimes they’re born under ordinary circumstances and go on to live extraordinary lives. Jen is one of the precious few who was born under extraordinary circumstances and has gone on to live an extraordinary life. This is a special story about a very special woman. I’m blessed to call her my friend.”

  Joe Mantegna, actor

  “Inspires in ways that only Jen Bricker can inspire. She’s a true gift. This book outlines her magical life—from her amazing beginnings to her current impressive successes—with honesty, wit, charm, and ease. It’s life-changing and heartwarming.”

  Tara Strong, actress

  This book is dedicated to the glory of God. May this book touch the lives of millions around the world.

  * * *

  And to my parents, Gerald and Sharon Bricker: this wouldn’t have been possible without you guys!

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Endorsement Page

  Dedication

  Foreword by Nick Vujicic

  Acknowledgments

  Introduction

  1. The Baby Born without Legs

  2. A Bundle of Energy

  3. Can’t Is a 4-Letter Word

  4. Sticks and Stones

  5. Keeping the Faith

  6. Breaking Down Walls

  7. Secret Sisters

  8. Sky High

  9. This Heart of Mine

  10. Ordinary Heroes

  11. Endless Possibilities

  12. The Me Nobody Knows Questions, Answers, and Tidbits

  About the Author

  Back Ads

  Back Cover

  Foreword

  I first met Jen in September 2014 at an event in Beverly Hills. I introduced her to the audience and watched their reaction. They were instantly and completely blown away by her, just as I had been.

  It was clear from that very first meeting that Jen and I had a connection. It isn’t often I meet someone who shares so many of the same truths and goals: dream big; embrace what God has given you; bring light where there are shadows; spread hope, faith, love, and peace.

  I love her relationship with God and how she inspires others to find Him. She does it not just through her words but through her actions. When she is face-to-face with adversity, she never lets it stand in the way of her joy and purpose. Her faith is unflappable. She is grateful not only for God’s gifts but also for the opportunities to try and fail and grow. Jen and I have talked about how we both see our “disabilities” as advantages. God doesn’t make mistakes; neither of us is a mistake. God knew exactly what He was doing when He created both of us.

  A story like hers is so rare, and I’m proud of the fact that she is one of the few speakers I trust to take speaking invitations that I unfortunately cannot accept through Attitude is Altitude’s speaking bureau. I’m proud of her for having the courage to truly put herself out there and share her story. But I also believe this is just the beginning. God has a lot more in store for Jen Bricker. Whether she’s performing her aerial act or speaking before crowds of thousands, I can’t wait to see her soar.

  —Nick Vujicic

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, thank you, God. None of this, my life included, would have been possible without Him—my number one guiding force in all things!

  My parents for being total rock stars and supporting every crazy thing I’ve ever wanted to try or do! My brothers—Greg, Bubba, and Brad—for loving on me since day one (and for not giving me a crazy name!) and teaching me how to “hang” with the boys and not to be afraid of getting dirty!

  To my sisters Christina and Dominique, I cannot believe it’s been ten years since we met. Time really does fly! I look forward to seeing what God has in store for the next ten years.

  A huge thank-you to my entire community in Crawford County (teachers, coaches, and peers) for supporting me my entire life. I am beyond grateful to have the roots I have and a strong value of community from being raised by such a strong community!

  Krine, you are the most amazing best friend anyone could ever ask for or dream of. I honestly can’t imagine my life without you. I am so grateful God put us together!

  Grant—you have always been on team J Bug from the literal second we met. Thanks for pushing me, loving me, and always believing in me!

  I want to give a big thanks to everyone who took a chance on me when others were afraid. To all of you “angels” in my life who I come across in all my travels—thank you. You know who you are. You have let me stay in your homes. You have fed me, wined and dined me, and gone completely out of your way to show me love when you didn’t have to. I will never forget who all of you are and what you have done for me. I only hope to return the favor to you one day—and more!

  I need to give a big shout-out to my writer, Sheryl Berk. I honestly couldn’t have done this without you—you are one amazing human being. I am extremely thankful to have spent so much time with you. Thank you for fiercely being on team Jen from day one!

  Many thanks to Frank Weimann at Folio Literary for helping make this book happen.

  To Joshua Schreff, my partner in crime, for always fighting for me.

>   Nick Vujicic for joining alongside me in such joyous and solid friendship.

  Thank you to everyone at Reality LA. That church (all of you) has literally changed my life and is such an answer to prayer!

  All my acrobats and aerialists, all of you who believed in me from day one. To Max, an amazing aerial choreographer, friend, and aerialist for helping me put acts together and have a place to stay and train!

  Thank you to the amazing Jeremy Cowart, who made this beautiful cover an absolute slam dunk. You are fantastic, my friend!

  Thank you to the entire team at Baker for being so excited and supportive of me! Brian, it has been an absolute joy working with you to make this book come to life! Amy, thank you for your enthusiasm along the way. Mark, you have been an absolute blessing. I seriously cannot imagine doing this book with any other company. I am beyond humbled and thankful for each and every one of you! You have made this process a totally beautiful one. Thanks for believing so strongly and passionately in this book and in me!

  Introduction

  Though she be but little, she is fierce!

  —William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

  So this just happened: I flew into the IPC Athletics World Championships in Qatar, suspended from a giant hot-air balloon. Not the kind with the pretty wicker basket underneath, mind you. I was actually attached to the balloon with my fabric. I took one look at the setup and gasped. This is amazing! I’ve never performed on a hot-air balloon before! When the organizers asked me to come to Qatar and outlined their ideas for my performance, I had no clue how magical and epic it would be. The number I was a part of had been choreographed around my entrance—and they’d gone to a whole lot of trouble to blow up a ginormous balloon and have a three-man crew walk out holding it high above them. It was done with utmost precision. So, like anything else that scares me, I knew I had to go for it. In retrospect, it ranks as one of my all-time favorite “pinch me” moments—a perfect combination of cool and crazy, artistry and insanity. I mean, who does this? Me, apparently! The entire time I was floating up there, reveling in the cheers of the crowd below, a single thought kept repeating over and over in my mind: God is so good!

  I have no doubt in my mind that I am blessed, though at first glance, maybe you’d think otherwise. It’s kind of hard to miss: I don’t have legs. But for the longest time, it never dawned on me that I was any different from anyone else. If there was something I wanted to do, then I did it. If I wanted to be a champion tumbler or an aerial artist, missing a couple of limbs was not going to hold me back. My approach was simple: no hesitation, no fear, no worrying “what if?” If an obstacle presented itself, I got creative and figured out how to get around it. It’s an attitude that I feel people aren’t taught, which is probably why I get asked for advice all the time. Life is an amazing journey if you’re not afraid to live it.

  That said, I have never felt like I have anything to prove. I am who I am, and I own it. People often ask me, “If you could have been born with legs, would you have wanted that?” Not a chance. God gave me this gift for a reason. And yes, I said gift. I don’t see myself as “disabled” or “handicapped” or lacking in any way, shape, or form. I am grateful for my body every day. I wouldn’t have been presented with such special opportunities to affect people in a positive way if I had been born with legs. That’s how God works through me—through my “uniqueness.”

  Maybe from the outside looking in, it seems like I was dealt a bad hand. After all, my biological parents abandoned me the day I was born. But the way I see it, that was God protecting me. He had bigger plans. He knew He had to get me to the right place with the right people who could nurture my talents and gifts and teach me to embrace them. He knew what He was doing—He always does!

  So yes, I am blessed. And my adoptive parents are my heroes because they taught me to see strength and beauty in places where others might not. They told me to keep going whenever a challenge presented itself. There were plenty of those and will continue to be many more. I took a Zumba class the other day and some lady asked me, “How do you do that?” Well, how do I not? How do I not kayak, skydive, roller-skate, play basketball—the list is endless. Ironically, I hate sitting still (and with no legs, it looks like I’m always sitting). I’ve been in constant motion from the moment I started crawling. It didn’t matter that the first doctors my parents took me to told them I’d spend my life being carried around and propped up in a “bucket.” The Brickers didn’t see or want that life for their little girl. They never let anyone or anything hold me back.

  Have I had moments where I’ve felt discouraged, insecure, frustrated, crappy? You betcha. It’s called being human. I went through a long period of time as a kid when I had serious body issues. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. I wanted to be tall and delicate with ballerina arms. Instead, I was short with body-builder biceps. I had to do a lot of soul-searching, and I arrived at the decision that God gave me this body for a reason. Then He gave me these talents and abilities to go with this body so I would catch people’s attention, which is also my chance to educate, inform, and inspire.

  That’s part of what this book is about, but I also want to share with you all the intricacies of what makes me who I am. Maybe you’ve read about me or even heard me speak. That’s just scratching the surface. I am adventurous, artistic, intense, flawed, passionate, broken, silly, athletic, goofy, flirty, and playful. I am a sister, a daughter, a best friend, an auntie, an aerialist, a lover. I experience feelings of insecurity, doubt, fear, and weakness, and moments of absolute bliss, extreme adventure, intense passion, and heart-racing love. Sometimes I want to explode with joy, excitement, and happiness; other times I feel overwhelmed, underqualified, and lonely. I have never before shared so many aspects of who I am as a person. To be totally honest, I wasn’t ready. I thought that strong people never reveal their weaknesses. But I know now that the opposite is true: it takes a lot of guts to be vulnerable and to put your whole true self out there. I’m not the least bit scared of twirling thirty feet in the air from a piece of fabric, but opening myself up . . . pretty terrifying.

  But like every other challenge in my life, I knew I had to do it. I think what finally made it a surmountable task was finding my motivation. I want everyone who reads this book to realize one simple, amazing truth: you are significant. We all have special gifts and talents that make us not only unique but also great. Everyone has the power to change someone’s life. Everyone has a voice and a stage and the ability to impact the world in a positive way. This isn’t just about turning lemons into lemonade or seeing the glass as half full. It’s taking action. It’s pushing yourself to do what you were meant to do (let’s call that purpose)—not necessarily what you are doing right at this moment. It’s seeing beyond what’s in front of you and imagining the endless possibilities.

  Everything is possible. That’s my favorite Bible quote from Mark 9:23: “Everything is possible for the person who believes” (GW). See it, believe it, make it happen. Who ever would have thought it was that simple? Yet my life is proof. The funny thing is I’m only twenty-eight, and I’m just getting started! I consider this the first leg of my journey (pun intended!). The path is clear—and I can’t wait to see where it takes me. So ask yourself: Where will your path take you if you decide to push yourself to do what you were meant to do? Where might you find yourself that you never dreamed possible? It doesn’t have to be soaring through the air on a hot-air balloon . . . but then again, why not? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! Be brave. Dream big. Have faith. And don’t be scared to look down. The view is pretty spectacular.

  —Jen

  * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Baby Born without Legs

  * * *

  The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

  —1 Samuel 16:7

  I came into this world with no name—literally, a “nobody.�
� My Romanian birth parents essentially abandoned me, leaving me behind at the hospital. And yet, I don’t hate them. As hard as that is for people to understand, I have no anger toward them. Instead, I’m thankful. Thankful that because of what they did, I wound up in a loving home with my parents, the Brickers, who supported me and taught me that my life—every life—has a purpose.

  Sure, it was a strange way to start a life. In a tiny hospital room in Salem, Illinois, my biological mother, Camelia, delivered me by cesarean section. I was born with big dark brown eyes, a head of thick black hair, dark brows and lashes, and very tan skin. I was also born with my heart on the right side of my chest instead of the left (many nurses got a scare when they tried to find my heartbeat with a stethoscope!). I measured a whopping thirteen inches, one inch longer than a ruler. Ironically, the hospital closed shortly after I was born. My family teases that after I was born, no one could top me, so they had to close up shop!

  Camelia never actually laid eyes on me. That’s because my birth father, Dmitry, didn’t allow it—not even for a split second. A relative says the doctor who delivered me (also Romanian) told him I would die. Maybe he thought it would be too painful. Maybe he was trying to spare her pain or grief or regret. Maybe he just hit the panic button or felt ill-equipped emotionally and financially to care for a child who had special needs. Maybe he thought he was doing me a favor?

  I don’t know, and I don’t pretend to know what was going through his head at that time. All I know is that he took one look at this tiny infant with two appendages where her legs were supposed to be and decided she’d be better off with someone else.

  So no, I’m not angry, as crazy as that sounds. I don’t blame my birth parents or judge them or hold any grudges. How could I when they gave me the greatest gift of all—a family that needed me as much as I needed them? My parents were honest with me from the start about my adoption. They didn’t want me to feel hurt or abandoned or to hate my birth parents. They told me, “Jennifer, you have to understand, your biological parents were from a different country with a different mind-set. You didn’t walk in their shoes, and you don’t know the real reason why they gave you up. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. This was exactly how God planned for it to be. You were an answered prayer, a miracle, for us. They gave us a gift; they gave us you.”