I'll Push You Quotes

“When you deny someone the opportunity to help you, you deny them joy in life.”
― Justin Skeesuck, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“That’s when I realized that, more often than not, the miracle isn’t the absence of struggle, disease, or pain; it is the presence of grace and certainty, the ability to face strife, the unknown, or a slow death, without fear. My obsession with divine intervention had distracted me from the truth that God had already intervened. We desperately want provision to make sense on our terms—bills paid, food on the table, and sickness taken away—but simply waiting on God and being angry when he doesn’t show up the way we want him to is a perverted sense of provision. Make no mistake, I believe that physical healings still happen. But God has made it pretty clear that while he answers prayers, those answers are based on his understanding, not our own; and when it comes to God’s provision for the world, we are the front lines. Or at least we should be.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Patrick and I have often found ourselves outmatched by our circumstances. But we've learned that if we live in fear and never try, if we never attempt something scary or daunting, we can't know what limits we possess. If we don't push ourselves, the only limits we face are the ones we place on ourselves, the ones we fabricate in our minds.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“I have finally embraced my limitations and am beginning to recognize that my vulnerability is my greatest strength.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“By giving up my freedom, I am gaining more of it,”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“The world needs to know hope like this exists!”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Despite the struggle, every face is full of joy, a joy that comes from giving of themselves, and I am at the center of it all. I can’t stop smiling. They say it is better to give than to receive, but right now the gift I am receiving is incredible, indescribable. This is one of the most humbling experiences of my entire life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Back home, I have an inner circle of people whom I trust enough to do all the things I can no longer do. Kirstin and Patrick are the two at the very center of this circle. I didn’t go into my marriage thinking that one day my wife would have to feed me and brush my teeth. I never thought that one day I would ask my best friend to hold a urinal steady so I could pee, or wipe my backside because I could no longer hold toilet paper or reach. But this is now my reality. The first time I asked Patrick to help me use the bathroom, I hated it. I felt like I was a burden. Part of me was back on my front porch, questioning God. But Patrick, just like Kirstin, has never thought twice. He has always been happy to do whatever needs to be done. Just knowing that he can make my life a little easier brings him joy —the same joy I see on the faces of these people who are now carrying me up this incredibly steep mountain trail. Over the years, my pride has slowly been pushed aside as I have embraced all the things I can no longer do on my own, all the things others now have to do for me. I’m not sure who said it —or even where I heard it —but there’s a fundamental truth that has stayed with me over the years: “When you deny someone the opportunity to help you, you deny them joy in life.” I’ve had to embrace a lot of help over the past several years, and I have seen this truth play out in the lives of others time and time again. There is so much joy in giving, in helping others. A joy God intended for all of us to experience.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Loving and serving others is the only way we can push through the darkness that life will undoubtedly give us. Acts of unconditional love shine a light into the lives of both the giver and the receiver. A light no darkness can hide from.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Every human interaction, every relationship is an opportunity to provide for one another, to provide time, energy, resources, hope, love, compassion, or grace. There is no limit to what we can provide for others, or what others can provide for us.”
― Justin Skeesuck, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Just as our bodies hunger for food and drink, our hearts long for love, our souls long to be pursued.”
― Justin Skeesuck, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Our pursuit of one another requires sacrifice. The effort we both choose to put into our relationship is indicative of the value we place on one another. We've both seen friendships and marriages fall apart, and every time there's been a lack of true commitment -- where one or both individuals no longer puts in the effort, no longer values the relationship, no longer pursues the other person.

As adults it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that we must pursue one another, even when it gets in the way of our own priorities. We can tell people how much we love them, how much they mean to us, but this means nothing if we don't pursue them. We have to pick up the phone, make time to be together, get in a car and make the drive, or hop on a plane and fly across the country. Like it or not, we are what we DO, not what we say we will do.”
― Justin Skeesuck, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Community like this is what church was meant to be, what it should be,” Justin says. “But unfortunately, it is often not what the church is.” “What does ‘church’ mean to you, Patrick?” Christie asks. If I’m honest with myself, church is what we have been experiencing for the past several miles, but how do I best express this? “I think I want to start with what it’s not,” I say. As I pause to gather my thoughts, the sound of our steps seems to drive the words into my mouth. “Church is not a building for worship or a place to learn theories about religious doctrine. It’s not about why ‘we’ are right and ‘they’ are wrong, or how to talk to ‘those people.’” “Okay, so what is it then?” “It is an existence grounded in loving God and loving others—regardless of race, creed, sexual preference, or one’s history of pain, abuse, or addiction—and drawing them into the truth.” “What truth?” she asks. “The truth that God’s love is more powerful than any darkness we can face.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“While Jasper pushes, Patrick and I talk a great deal about the Basque man who affectionately slapped my cheek so many days ago. “A stranger in the middle of the Pyrenees has turned into a bit of a prophet.” “Yeah! I wonder if he will ever understand the power of his words?” Patrick muses. “I hope so, but do any of us ever know the power of our words?” “No, I guess not. That’s why we should make sure they are filled with hope.” It has been exactly one month since we heard the man shout, “The impossible is possible!” And we have seen more examples of this truth than we could ever imagine. Our journey has led Patrick and me over three mountain ranges, through days of self-exploration and discovery, and into the arms of strangers waiting to help us in ways we didn’t know we needed. What an experience.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“When I choose pride over vulnerability, I find that relying on my own strength makes me weak.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“By the time we reach the top of the trail, where it reunites with the mountain road, we are greeted by two volunteer police officers in a bright yellow truck. They had heard about our climb and were waiting for us on the road. No words are exchanged, except a gruff but sincere “¡Buen Camino!” as one of the officers grabs the red nylon harness at the front of my chair and begins to pull me the rest of the way into O Cebreiro, while his partner drives the truck behind us with lights flashing. When we finally make it to the top, all I can do is look around at the people who have given so much for me today. As we gather together for a photo, “thank you” doesn’t seem like nearly enough after all they’ve done, but it’s all I can give.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Despite the struggle, every face is full of joy, a joy that comes from giving of themselves, and I am at the center of it all. I can’t stop smiling. They say it is better to give than to receive, but right now the gift I am receiving is incredible, indescribable. This is one of the most humbling experiences of my entire life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Though Justin has breathed encouraging words into my ears ever since our initial climb up the Pyrenees, it hasn’t been his words that have pushed me as much as who he is. Every day, I have watched him embrace my help and the help of others, and those days have all led to this moment. By letting go of control and welcoming the strength of others to do what he cannot, Justin has been pushing me to let go of my need for control, to let go of comfort, to let go of safety, to let go of fear, and to embrace a life lived in faith, with others at my side.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Tears stream down my face as the journey finally forces me to fully embrace the help of others—just as Justin’s disease has forced him to do in so much of his life. This is so very hard, but so beautiful.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“At 5,020 feet, Cruz de Ferro is the highest point on the Camino, and for centuries, it has served as a landmark for leaving things behind. Pilgrims traditionally bring a stone or a memento from home to leave at the foot of this cross. None of us are sure what to expect.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“The Camino has made this much clear to me: I want my life to demonstrate love, sacrifice for others, compassion, and value placed in relationships. I want my life to be a compass for my children to use as a guide for how they should live theirs, and I am suddenly and painfully aware of how I have been failing my beautiful children. At the end of the day, Justin and I sit at a small table outside of an albergue. I turn to him and say, “I don’t want to go back to who I was.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“With no meetings, no projects, and no commitments, people tend to open up and provide details of their lives you wouldn’t normally expect to hear after just meeting. Eight hours of walking together provides ample time for sharing.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“All this, in addition to each day’s walking and pushing, is making me a kind of tired I didn’t know existed. But tonight feels different. I have a sense of gratitude I haven’t felt before. The challenge of the day with so much traffic, the fact of Ted leaving us tomorrow, and the communal dinner we experienced tonight have me thinking about what it means to face the challenges of life alone, to take on the unexpected in isolation. I wasn’t designed for a solitary existence. Though I am so very tired, there is an underlying energy in my bones, an energy that comes from the presence and help of others. The unexpected is just that—unexpected! We can’t plan for it . . . we can’t predict it . . . we can’t be ready for it in any way. Often the unforeseen events in life come with few answers or no clear way out. Deborah’s MS offers no way out, and Justin’s disease will eventually take his life. But just like the highway, these unexpected challenges can be faced and life can be lived, despite the darkness. We just have to make sure we don’t face them alone. Ted has helped us get this far. Christie, Lynda, and John have offered to help in the coming days. The many pilgrims sitting, breaking bread, and enjoying wine tonight remind me of what the church is supposed to mean, what it is supposed to represent. We are a community—or at least we should be—where all are welcome, all are loved, and the unexpected challenges of life are faced with others at our side.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Back at the hotel, it’s time for us to shower. Not many people find themselves giving their best friend a shower, but as I soap and rinse Justin, I’m reminded of Karl and of Kirstin. This is a privilege. It may be work at times; it may mean I’m the first one up in the morning and the last to bed, but to have the opportunity to tangibly express my love for my friend, to serve him, is a gift I cherish.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“I love my life and am grateful for everything I get to experience. But in times like these, I can’t deny there’s a sting. I want to be out there running with the bulls, risking my life alongside Patrick for a good story. But in these moments, I have a choice: I can let my limits ruin me, or I can let them go. If I can’t catch a bull by its horn, the next best thing is to watch my best friend do it for me.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Paddy and Skeez—there’s something powerful in nicknames that become terms of endearment. There’s a history behind any nickname that sticks for as long as ours have. And we’re reminded of their origin every time we hear them.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“You measured once!” Grandpa said with a hint of a smile. “And now you have to cut twice!” “I measured twice!” I argued. “No, you didn’t. I watched you.” He knew I had made the mistake, but he let me continue down the path until I discovered it on my own. He could have intervened, but chose not to. Rather than simply cutting a new piece, my grandpa made me start over from the beginning, measuring and cutting each piece again. This was one of the few times I was ever angry with him. He let me fail and then almost laughed about it. But now, as an adult, I know he wasn’t laughing. He was silently celebrating how this lesson would one day serve me well.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“The monument seems to stare back at me, and I think to myself, They need to add a silhouette of a guy in a wheelchair.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“Such a brief interaction . . . but there is so much power in his words. They wash over us and fill us with a strength grounded in the idea that things are only impossible because they haven’t been done yet.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“As we discuss the best way to handle the carry, Patrick tells us, “There’s also some good news. I went a little farther up the trail, and around the bend at the top of the hill there’s pavement.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair

“I may not be able to feed myself, shower myself, or go to the bathroom by myself. I may not be able to hug my daughter, play catch with my boys, or hold my wife's hand as we walk along a beach at sunset. But today, through the power, love and sacrifice of other, I climbed a mountain.”
― Patrick Gray, I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair