Rebekah Gregory stood at the finish line of the Boston Marathon four years ago this past weekend. She and her five year old son were only three feet away from the homemade bomb that exploded that day – a tragedy that shocked the nation and changed her life forever. This horrible act left her as one of seventeen amputees resulting from injuries that day, and therefore permanently handicapped at the young age of only twenty-six.
“It absolutely changed everything about it. I think I was one of those people beforehand that wept at the news of a terrorist attack, and it was a sad story. But it had never happened to me or my family, and when it did – you realize how close to home it really is.”
“Now, every time there is a terror attack, it’s so scary. And there are some times where I just don’t even get out of bed that day because I’m so emotionally hit by it. Our world is such a scary place right now, but if I’ve learned anything in the last four years it’s that there is still more good than there is bad. I just want to be a part of that.”
She shares how instead of giving way to bitterness, she works through the tough days. On the days she just doesn’t even want to go outside the house, she clings to God’s strength not her own.
“You don’t have to be strong because He carries you through. I don’t feel like I’m strong or brave. He’s given me such an appreciation for every single blessing, and, even on the bad days, my blessings far outweigh my problems. So I look at my husband, and I look at my children. So even when my heart is hurting, it is so full. Every single day that happens.”
“You know the majority of people are not going to get blown up by a car bomb at a marathon, and I hope that continues to be the case, but everyone has life blow up in their face. And it happens again and again and again. But if we keep going, if we realize that whatever we’re going through at that time – it’s just a chapter. And the most beautiful chapters of our lives are on the way. I know that because I’ve seen it in my own life.”
Rebekah Gregory’s life was forever changed due to the events of the Boston marathon bombings. Rebekah wrote and continue to use her platform in a powerful way by encouraging others worldwide.
On the Road with Rebekah Gregory
