A letter to Elise Eberwein (executive vice president, people and communications for American Airlines Group)

Hello Elise and affiliates!

You don’t know me, but I am writing this letter because I want to share a story and an idea with you.

My name is Jordan Stroman, I am 22 years old, and I just began my final semester studying Web Design and Digital Media at the University of Central Florida. I love to read and write. I love to drink coffee and spend time with the lovely people I’m blessed to live life with.

All of my life, my heart has yearned for adventure. Exploring and discovering, I can constantly feel the anticipation in my bones. Because traveling isn't convenient when you come with a 400lb electric wheelchair, assistive breathing equipment, and a plethora of other necessary gadgets, I have felt a great share of frustration. Being in a situation where traveling and spontaneity can often be very challenging and quite complicated, I began to believe that seeing new skies was no longer in my cards (a very hard pill to swallow). This summer, however, my perspective began to change.

This summer, God put an idea on my heart: in the spring of the new year, I would fly in a plane and go on a grand adventure. A very exciting prospect, but also quite scary. I have not flown in a plane in over 10 years. Air travel is not well-designed for the physically disabled; it is a very cumbersome and challenging process. Out of a fear of discomfort and the unknown, as well as a lack of resources, I have not pursued my many major adventure dreams. Until now.

By God's grace and provision, I will leave Orlando and embark to San Diego, California on February 27th to attend the Storyline conference.

Storyline is a conference that was started last year by author Donald Miller. The purpose of the conference is to equip each attendee in creating life plans that give them personal vision and clarity. As the name implies, Storyline is all about stories. The focus is meaning, connection, and authenticity, rather than production. Our lives are living stories and every day we have an opportunity to make those stories great. Another wonderful man, Bob Goff, will be speaking as well.

As I’m planning to write a book, this trip will undoubtably be an awesome experience of self-growth. There is even greater purpose to this adventure, however. I will have the great pleasure of making this journey alongside a few of my dear friends and a talented filmmaker. We want to make a film that will encourage and inspire others. We want to tell a story of hope and adventure and joy that isn't dependent on agreeable circumstances. I want to pave the way for other disabled people who have believed the lie that they are too much for great adventure. I want to show them that they, too, can chase their dreams. Yes, this trip is about embracing life and living fully, but more than that, it is an opportunity to open eyes. It is an opportunity to allow others to see the beautiful gift that life is and that it’s worth living fully.

I am super stoked but also very aware of how challenging the journey is going to be, both logistically and financially. It’s very difficult to be comfortable in anything besides my wheelchair or bed, so I know sitting upright without lateral, head or feet support for six hours is going to be quite difficult. I have heard countless horror stories of wheelchairs being damaged or destroyed by luggage loaders who don’t know how to handle the chairs. I always need someone with me to assist me, every expense is double what it would be for the average traveler. Once in San Diego, I will have to rent equipment that is too large to travel with, as well as an accessible van.

It is a challenge that I’m ready to face. I am trusting that God will open the right doors and provide the necessary resources. I have received generous financial help from many friends and family and was able to buy my tickets last week. On February 27th, we will be flying nonstop from ORL to SAN on AA. On March 4th, we will be returning to ORL on US Airways.

Through this trip I hope to start something that can encourage those who have believed that adventure is not in their cards, and to equip them to travel. I’m writing this letter for two reasons: 1) I wanted to see if there is there anything that can be done on your end to make this initial journey somewhat smoother and more comfortable, and 2) more importantly,
I would love to see strides made towards improving the air travel experience for those with immobilizing disabilities. I feel like this is my battle to fight and I would love to work together to put in place a program to do just that.

By God's sweet grace, I have air in my lungs and opportunity before me. This life, this day, this breath is such a gift and so full of opportunity. I am grateful to have begun to understand a sliver of the weight of that beautiful reality. I'm ready to explore this wonderful world we are living in and I hope that we can tell a story that can inspire deep hope.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Sincerely,

Jordan Stroman
@jordeybug
jordstro25@gmail.com
jordstro.blogspot.com

New Skies on the Horizon

Hello friend,

I hope this little letter is finding you in a place of growth and joy. It has been a wild year and I'm finding it hard to believe that the year 2014 is already upon us! 2013, for me, has been a year of great growth. I have experienced God's provision in such sweet and tangible ways. I am constantly in awe of the way His provision exceeds the basic necessities of life; He cares so much that He gives me life and even blesses me with the desires of my heart. What a gift that is.

This past August I had the great pleasure of moving into a cute little house here in Orlando with three of the loveliest ladies. Living with these three has been such a fun adventure and has filled my heart with much joy. This fall I began my final year studying Digital Media and Web Design at UCF. It blows my mind that I'm graduating in May. My time here at UCF has been the greatest experience of my life. My heart is so full thinking about this whole journey. The ups, the downs, the friendships and lessons learned: it was all part of a wonderful plan that I am so grateful to have experienced.

All of my life, my heart has yearned for adventure. Exploring and discovering, I can constantly feel the anticipation in my bones. Being in a situation where traveling and spontaneity can often be very challenging and quite complicated, I have felt a great share of frustration. Because traveling isn't convenient when you come with a 400lb electric wheelchair, assistive breathing equipment, and a plethora of other necessary gadgets, I began to believe that seeing new skies was no longer in my cards (a very hard pill to swallow). This summer, however, the Lord began to change my perspective.

"Shake off your dust;
      rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
     Free yourself from the chains on your neck,"
- Isaiah 52:2

God put an idea on my heart: in the spring of the new year, I would fly in a plane and go on a grand adventure. A very exciting prospect, but also quite scary. I have not flown in a plane in over 10 years. Air travel is not well-designed for the physically disabled; it is a very cumbersome and challenging process. Out of a fear of discomfort and the unknown, as well as a lack of resources, I have not pursued my many major adventure dreams. Until now.

By God's grace and provision, I will embark to San Diego, California on February 26th to attend the Storyline conference.

Storyline is a conference that was started last year by Donald Miller. (If you don't know who Donald Miller is, you should read "Blue Like Jazz," his first big hit in the writing arena. It challenged me and gave me new perspective on what it looks like to follow Jesus. Anytime I see a copy in a thrift store, I buy it to give to someone. It's one of those.)  The purpose of the conference is to equip each attendee in
creating life plans that give them personal vision and clarity. As the name implies, Storyline is all about stories. The focus is meaning, connection, and authenticity, rather than production. Our lives are living stories and every day we have an opportunity to make those stories great. Another wonderful man, Bob Goff, will be speaking as well (If you don't know who Bob Goff is, you need to read "Love Does." Another favorite book that has helped open my eyes to see the joy that is available to us in every moment).

With the Lord's provision, I will have the great pleasure of making this journey alongside three of my dear friends and a talented filmmaker. Our hope is that this adventure will be more than an awesome experience of self-growth. We want to make a film that will encourage and inspire others. We want to tell a story of hope and adventure and joy that isn't dependent on agreeable circumstances. Yes, this trip is about embracing life and living fully, but more than that, it is an opportunity to open eyes. It is an opportunity to allow others to see the beautiful gift that life is and that it’s worth living fully.

I am super stoked but also very aware of how challenging the journey is going to be, both logistically and financially. Because I always need someone with me to assist me, every expense is double what it would be for the average traveler. Once in San Diego, I will have to rent equipment that is too large to travel with, as well as an accessible van. The total cost of the trip for myself, someone to assist me, and air travel expenses for a filmmaker is going to be $3200.

The Lord has put it on my heart to write this letter, to share this with you. I am trusting that God will provide the necessary funds. If you feel led to contribute in the form of prayer, finances (or maybe a private jet…) I would be honored and grateful. I am not sending this letter with lofty expectations but because I feel as if this is something I should share with you. I believe this is going to be an adventure of a lifetime and I would love for you to be a part of this journey in any way you are able.

By God's sweet grace, I have air in my lungs and opportunity before me. This life, this day, this breath is such a gift and so full of opportunity. I am grateful to have begun to understand a sliver of the weight of that beautiful reality and I'm ready to explore this wonderful world we are living in.

With great love,
Jordan




If you feel led to contribute financially, you may do so with the donation button to the right. Please email me with any questions regarding this trip, the payment process, etc. I would love to hear from you!

Lessons from a blueberry bagel

It has been about a year since my body has ceased to allow me to enjoy all of the yummy's that I love. I can no longer eat normal food. It has been a difficult journey (as many worthwhile journeys are). 

I don't like to tell people that I can't eat normal food. Food is "the great equalizer," "the greatest pleasure," "the way to one's heart." Life is shared over food, love is showed through food. We gather around food, we celebrate with food. Jesus broke bread with his disciples and in that sharing, they united in fellowship. Food is a big deal. It many ways, it feels like I'm missing out on the greatest human tradition that ever existed. I am no longer a part of the club. 

Though it has become a bit easier with time, right now as I sit writing this, I would really love to eat a blueberry bagel. With cream cheese. Not toasted.

Or maybe some of mom's homemade enchiladas. With a side of cumin dressing salad. My ultimate favorite. 

Man, that would be glorious.

Something so simple as a late-night snack, this body I've been given can no longer enjoy. It is something I long for every day. 

It's in these longings that I am learning so much. 

For a long time I have carried the weight of my inability as if I was, in some way, responsible - as if I chose it like a haircut or a career. I have been embarrassed about my weakness, as if I could have prevented any part of it. Intellectually I know this isn't true but subconsciously this is how I've behaved; tip-toeing around, trying my best to not infect others with the burden of my inability.

The obvious truth is, my body is weak. I cannot brush my own hair or help wash the dirty dishes. I cannot lift my arms to embrace you or turn the page of the book in front of me. And while those abilities would be so wonderful to posses, their absence points to something bigger.

"We begin to see a pattern developing that God purposely chooses those who are weak in the world's eyes to carry out his work... so that when God gives them the victory, all will know that the victory came from Yahweh, not from the people he chose as his agents of deliverance." (Michael S. Beates, Disability and the Gospel)

Jesus uses the weak because in our weakness His power may be fully known. God redeems broken situations. He takes the hard and painful and turns them into something beautiful. Through the longing and heartache, God is laying the ground work for a deep and meaningful relationship with himself. It is from our deep struggle that we are able to see Jesus.

Unless the Lord heals this body of mine, I will probably long to enjoy homemade guacamole and fresh strawberries all of my days. And while that is challenging in such a deep and simple way, these sharp realities are refining me. These painful and messy difficulties are molding me into the person that Jesus has called me to be. With every unwanted limitation, with each unfulfilled desire, my eyes are being opened wide and my focus narrowed. 

I think maybe that's the point.

Perspective

I listen a lot. I often have no choice but to sit and take in the words around me. I hear people talk. I hear humility and I hear compassion. I hear entitlement and self-righteousness, appreciation and heartache. I listen to people's stories. We all listen to people and begin to get a taste of where they have been and how they see the world.

We are all shaped by what we encounter in life; the successes and the failures, the suffering and the joy - they all have the ability to turn our thinking and shift our perspective. These experiences can leave scars and bruises. They can also bring about growth and deep understanding. Ultimately, every impactful encounter in life is inviting us to proceed on a certain course.

My view of life has been molded and impacted by the circumstances I have been placed in. Yours has too.

Growing up with an undiagnosed degenerative muscle disease, I have seen the loss of most of the major functions of my body. It has been, and continues to be, a process of mourning and discovery. It can be tough and sad and frustrating. And it continues to be.

But there is also something about this whole mess that I'm beginning to see as beautiful. Maybe you think I'm looney in the head, that's fine. But this whole reality, this daily struggle, has given me something very precious: perspective.

Because of Jesus, these circumstances don't define me. They have greatly impacted me, but instead of pulling me down and holding me there, the Lord has given me a changed view.

Every morning I am awakened to the truth that this very day is a precious gift. In that awareness comes an immovable sense of urgency - to fully live, to deeply love, with no fear and no reservation. To show Jesus to the world and impact lives.

Everything that's been lost, the ability to walk, to express myself without limits, to speak with clarity, to enjoy favorite foods, have all combined to intensify a longing that I believe exists at the core of each of us, beneath all the distraction and hedonistic pursuit. In this lack of diversion, something so very unique emanates: a deeply intimate relationship with the creator of the universe.

Suffering has taught me a lot. And because of Jesus, we all have the choice to have joy despite our afflictions.

Life is messy. Jesus wins. Today is the day, let's go.

I press on.

I want to encourage you. I want to be a light to the Kingdom of God, to glorify God with my words and actions. But I cannot do that in my own strength. My heart is heavy and I am weary. But the Lord is strong. So I lean on him and I write. And I pray that he will guide these thoughts and use these words.

I sometimes hesitate to share these thoughts, my intent is not to sadden or burden. But this is raw, real life. No masking, no pretense. I am not inviting sympathies but am sharing for the sake of truthfulness, for the sake of the one who gives me life.

The weeks pass and hardship seems to be making a habit of showing its face. Around me and within me. When does the grieving of 'what isn't,' of 'what cannot be' end? Will it ever, in this life? It seems to be only increasing. It overwhelms at times.

When pain occurs, the repercussion are not isolated to the point of impact. If the circumstance was just in and of itself, just an individual entity, it could be pushed aside with greater ease. But, like a web of wound silk, the effects of my body's weakness have attached onto and impacted every thread of life.

The product of these circumstances are an every day reality.

But God is a redeemer. He REDEEMS. He creates beauty from tragedy.
To redeem is "to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment." Jesus is our payment. His death brings you and me to life. Because of his sacrifice, we can open our eyes. We can be alive and live with hope.

Hallelujah.

I am not fully aware of where God is leading this life he is allowing me to live, but I believe with everything within me that he has created purpose in it.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 3:12-14

This encourages me; this stirs me.
Onward and outward. I press on.

More than just photographs, more than just memories

So, my dear wheelchair died last Thursday.  My only mode of mobility, my "legs" if you will, is out of commission until the new part comes in.  It was supposed to come in today (Tuesday) however, it did not.  Cool.

Without my chair, I am pretty much stuck in my bed.  It's been 6 days.  I've been outside once.  Eeep.

It's been an adventure so far...
Lots of thinking.
Lots of music-listening.
Lots of reading.
Lots of thinking.

Knowing, when my chair croaked, that I would be spending a heavy dose of quality time with the four walls of my bedroom, I was not too stoked.

I am not a fan of solitary confinement.  I am also not a fan of being vulnerable and reaching out for support.

But the Lord is stretching me.

There's been much time for reflection.  And one thing I am sure of is that God is completely in this crazy rodeo.  It has been a bundle of emotions, positive and negative, but he has blessed this time and used it to grow my heart.

It's been a weird week and I cannot wait until Thursday, but I am truly thankful for this time.

Because I was stuck in bed and lonely, I had the courage and desperation to tell people that I needed them.  And the Lord showed me great love in the sweet friends he surrounded me with.  In this situation, I have had no choice but to be open, to be vulnerable and reject the fear of appearing weak.  It is what it is.  The love does not cease because my body is powerless.

This situation, at first seeming overwhelmingly limiting, opened doors for unique opportunities.  I have experienced the Lord in new and rejuvenating ways.  I was able to spend some good quality time with some dear and wonderful humans.  I was able to begin reading a book I've been meaning to pick up for quite some time.  I got lots of my spanish homework done, which is a great thing.

I even made some new friends.  From the comfort of my own bed.  That's a first.
The talented Adam Sams stopped by for a little late-night jam sesh.  This is one talented dude.  Check him out if you enjoy great tunes.

Spontaneity.  Quality music.  Worship.  This would have to be one of my favorite moments in the last few days.

The water keeps on falling

I am currently reading C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain.  It has catalyzed much thinking... about life, about suffering, about purpose.

Mr. Lewis writes, “We are, not metaphorically but in very truth, a Divine work of art, something that God is making, and therefore something with which He will not be satisfied until it has a certain character ... Over a sketch made idly to amuse a child, an artist may not take much trouble: he may be content to let it go even though it is not exactly as he meant it to be. But over the great picture of his life—the work which he loves, though in a different fashion, as intensely as a man loves a woman or a mother a child—he will take endless trouble—and would doubtless, thereby give endless trouble to the picture if it were sentient. One can imagine a sentient picture, after being rubbed and scraped and re-commenced for the tenth time, wishing that it were only a thumb-nail sketch whose making was over in a minute. In the same way, it is natural for us to wish that God had designed for us a less glorious and less arduous destiny; but then we are wishing not for more love but for less.”

When we face suffering, it is painful so we desire it to stop. But it is through our suffering that so much beauty takes place.  In life's difficulty, in the midst of the challenges and the frustration and the heartache, God is lavishing you with the deepest love.  He is molding you into the person He created you to be.

"But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
he speaks to them in their affliction."
- Job 36:15

"My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life."
- Psalm 119:50

This is real life.
It is beautiful and it hurts.
I pray that the beauty would obscure the pain.