Distance running with an upper-body amputation is a war against instability. Muscles can strain so much to compensate for the missing limb that they contort your spine, misalign your shoulders, and worsen your imbalance. In 2017, Ashley Jones—then 15 years old—faced a punishing return to high school sports following the amputation of her right arm. On the soccer field, she had collisions so violent that the pain would bring her to the brink of blackout.
Those days were gifts from God, the Joneses say, tangible blessings from a loving Lord and Creator. The family prayed together every day and read the Bible together. They went to church on Sundays. Ashley’s faith taught her that a loving, personal relationship with God is possible, and that when she experiences pain and suffering—a certainty in a world broken by sin—God is still present and in control.
Jones with her father, Damian, at one of their favorite vacation spots, Paradise Guest Ranch, located outside Buffalo, Wyoming.Damian was an active cheerleader when it came to all his kids’ athletic endeavors. He had a signature whistle he’d let out during their games, and afterward he’d wrap his kids in a great bear hug, come win or loss. “My dad was the best dad a daughter could ask for,” Ashley says. “He was strong. He was caring. You never talk to someone who had a bad experience with him.
For two days, the vacation was a picture of idyllic cabin life—s’mores, campfires, and boundless green space for the kids to roam. Ashley says, “I felt happy. It was weird—should I be laughing again? Should I be happy?” For the first time since Damian’s death she thought,The teenagers commandeered ATVs and dirt bikes to explore the fire roads that wound through the hills surrounding their cabin.
God, you have to do something or I won’t get down this mountain. God, I need you. I need you to stop the bleeding. The book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, says faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. For Christians, part of faith is the belief that God is going to redeem pain and suffering for good.
Jones with Coach Greg Coplen and her Valor Christian High School cross country teammates as they wait for results after the Colorado State MeetOne aspect of this was Ashley’s return to organized sports. Though her first year after the amputation was crammed with physical and occupational therapy, she had planned to play for Valor Christian High School’s soccer team the following season, her freshman year. To that point, it was still her best sport.
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