Jamey Carrington
The Story
The Story
The Story
Your pain has purpose.
Your pain has purpose.
Your pain has purpose.
001
001
Age One
THE DIAGNOSIS
THE DIAGNOSIS
At one year old, doctors handed my parents the hardest diagnosis on their list: Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type 2. I have never walked. I have never fed myself, never felt grass under my feet, never jumped on a trampoline. But the diagnosis that was supposed to break my family pulled us closer together instead. I grew up surrounded by love, faith, and a church pew every Sunday.
At one year old, doctors handed my parents the hardest diagnosis on their list: Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type 2. I have never walked. I have never fed myself, never felt grass under my feet, never jumped on a trampoline. But the diagnosis that was supposed to break my family pulled us closer together instead. I grew up surrounded by love, faith, and a church pew every Sunday.
THE BEGINNING
PROCESSED BY
-2.5deg
AGE ONE · circa 2006
where it all began
TRANSPARENCY
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0:01:47
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PROCESSED BY
2deg
A FEW YEARS LATER
002
A Few Years Later
WANDERING YEARS
As I got older, I began to understand everything my body couldn’t do. I watched kids on the playground do effortlessly what I never would, and I went home crying, asking my mom why God would give me this. She told me my condition was a gift. I didn’t believe her. Not yet.
I was just so hopeless… I guess God just hates me because he’s out here tossing out disabilities to children like they’re hotcakes.
I was just so hopeless… I guess God just hates me because he’s out here tossing out disabilities to children like they’re hotcakes.
I was just so hopeless… I guess God just hates me because he’s out here tossing out disabilities to children like they’re hotcakes.
003
003
Middle School
LOWEST POINT
LOWEST POINT
Middle school was the bottom. I couldn’t fit in, couldn’t shake the self-consciousness, and couldn’t find a direction worth rolling toward. I sang at church beside my dad and secretly thought the whole thing was stupid, because I didn’t trust the God we were singing about. I believed the lie that if I couldn’t live like everyone else, my life didn’t matter.
Middle school was the bottom. I couldn’t fit in, couldn’t shake the self-consciousness, and couldn’t find a direction worth rolling toward. I sang at church beside my dad and secretly thought the whole thing was stupid, because I didn’t trust the God we were singing about. I believed the lie that if I couldn’t live like everyone else, my life didn’t matter.
LOOK BACK AND THANK GOD, LOOK AHEAD AND TRUST HIM
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THIS SIDE
-1.5deg
THE QUIET STRETCH
TRANSPARENCY
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MADE IN U.S.A.
read these instead of homework
004
Entering High School
THE SPARK
Entering high school, I hit a crossroads. Do something, or give up. Then I watched a YouTube video about the Bible, and the Holy Spirit lit a spark in my heart. Suddenly the story of God and humankind trying to find their way back to each other was the most compelling thing I had ever heard. I started devouring theology books, reading them in class instead of doing my schoolwork. I couldn’t get enough.
005
005
The Turning Point
THE RELATIONSHIP
THE RELATIONSHIP
All that knowledge meant nothing until I met the One it pointed to. Jesus didn’t heal my body. He healed something deeper. He healed my heart. The lies I believed about an unfair God fell apart, and the pain I had tried to numb on my own finally found its purpose in His hands.
All that knowledge meant nothing until I met the One it pointed to. Jesus didn’t heal my body. He healed something deeper. He healed my heart. The lies I believed about an unfair God fell apart, and the pain I had tried to numb on my own finally found its purpose in His hands.
COLOR TRANSPARENCY
REC
0:09:58
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PROCESSED BY
MADE IN U.S.A.
THE TURNING POINT
He didn’t heal my body. He didn’t heal what you see right here in front of you… No, he healed my heart. And there’s a big difference between the two.
He didn’t heal my body. He didn’t heal what you see right here in front of you… No, he healed my heart. And there’s a big difference between the two.
He didn’t heal my body. He didn’t heal what you see right here in front of you… No, he healed my heart. And there’s a big difference between the two.
006
Today
A LETTER — 99 MINISTRIES
When Jesus rose, He kept His scars to prove who He was. God is using mine the same way. He didn’t move my mountain. He gave me the tools to climb it. Now I take that message to the street, the stage, and the screen, going after the one the way the Shepherd came after me. That’s 99 Ministries. The story started on a camcorder, and it still isn’t finished.
Jamey
99
A LETTER — 99 MINISTRIES
When Jesus rose, He kept His scars to prove who He was. God is using mine the same way. He didn’t move my mountain. He gave me the tools to climb it. Now I take that message to the street, the stage, and the screen, going after the one the way the Shepherd came after me. That’s 99 Ministries. The story started on a camcorder, and it still isn’t finished.
Jamey
99
God did not fix my problems; he fixed me first, because he knew that these problems in my life were necessary for me becoming a man of substance.
God did not fix my problems; he fixed me first, because he knew that these problems in my life were necessary for me becoming a man of substance.
God did not fix my problems; he fixed me first, because he knew that these problems in my life were necessary for me becoming a man of substance.
TESTIMONIES
Amelia
“Man you helped me realize over and over that the Lord has so much love for us. Because it just shines through you.”
Dionisia Blucher
“You’ve helped me process my son’s disability and reminded me that each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made and God doesn’t make mistakes.”
Kyra Townes
“You remind me to be joyful in all circumstances!”
Elisha Adams
“You have encouraged me that no matter what happens in this life, joy can be found and there are ways that we can use our lives and stories to point others to Jesus, in the midst of what can seem like difficulties.”
Mayson Cunningham
“You have shown me what faith looks like. Thank you.”
Miqui Scollard
“You inspire me every day to see my blessings, and capabilities. I’m so grateful for your messages.”
Max Farmer
“You have brought joy and hope to me seeing you live your life in such an amazing way!”
Bradford
“You have done more than I can put into words for me. You have helped me find God and his love. And I’m forever grateful for that. I’ve been stuck most my life, because everyone always told me why I shouldn’t be religious and why there is no God. You showed me why there is, and how unfathomably benevolent he is. Something I truly needed.”
Jesse Frey
“You have helped me understand the word of God more and feel at peace, I truly love your videos.”
Nicholas
“You’ve helped me to grow in hope and faith, even when life seems so deeply challenging. You have given me the encouragement and hope to trust in Christ and know that God loves me and made me the way I am with intricate loving design. You always put a smile on my face brother, and help me to know that my disabilities are not a technical error, but loving design and that I am his child, no matter what the world tries to tell me I am. You are moving hearts through cooperation with the Holy Spirit.”
5:51 AM
TESTIMONIES
Amelia
“Man you helped me realize over and over that the Lord has so much love for us. Because it just shines through you.”
Dionisia Blucher
“You’ve helped me process my son’s disability and reminded me that each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made and God doesn’t make mistakes.”
Kyra Townes
“You remind me to be joyful in all circumstances!”
Elisha Adams
“You have encouraged me that no matter what happens in this life, joy can be found and there are ways that we can use our lives and stories to point others to Jesus, in the midst of what can seem like difficulties.”
Mayson Cunningham
“You have shown me what faith looks like. Thank you.”
Miqui Scollard
“You inspire me every day to see my blessings, and capabilities. I’m so grateful for your messages.”
Max Farmer
“You have brought joy and hope to me seeing you live your life in such an amazing way!”
Bradford
“You have done more than I can put into words for me. You have helped me find God and his love. And I’m forever grateful for that. I’ve been stuck most my life, because everyone always told me why I shouldn’t be religious and why there is no God. You showed me why there is, and how unfathomably benevolent he is. Something I truly needed.”
Jesse Frey
“You have helped me understand the word of God more and feel at peace, I truly love your videos.”
Nicholas
“You’ve helped me to grow in hope and faith, even when life seems so deeply challenging. You have given me the encouragement and hope to trust in Christ and know that God loves me and made me the way I am with intricate loving design. You always put a smile on my face brother, and help me to know that my disabilities are not a technical error, but loving design and that I am his child, no matter what the world tries to tell me I am. You are moving hearts through cooperation with the Holy Spirit.”
5:51 AM
TESTIMONIES
Amelia
“Man you helped me realize over and over that the Lord has so much love for us. Because it just shines through you.”
Dionisia Blucher
“You’ve helped me process my son’s disability and reminded me that each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made and God doesn’t make mistakes.”
Kyra Townes
“You remind me to be joyful in all circumstances!”
Elisha Adams
“You have encouraged me that no matter what happens in this life, joy can be found and there are ways that we can use our lives and stories to point others to Jesus, in the midst of what can seem like difficulties.”
Mayson Cunningham
“You have shown me what faith looks like. Thank you.”
Miqui Scollard
“You inspire me every day to see my blessings, and capabilities. I’m so grateful for your messages.”
Max Farmer
“You have brought joy and hope to me seeing you live your life in such an amazing way!”
Bradford
“You have done more than I can put into words for me. You have helped me find God and his love. And I’m forever grateful for that. I’ve been stuck most my life, because everyone always told me why I shouldn’t be religious and why there is no God. You showed me why there is, and how unfathomably benevolent he is. Something I truly needed.”
Jesse Frey
“You have helped me understand the word of God more and feel at peace, I truly love your videos.”
Nicholas
“You’ve helped me to grow in hope and faith, even when life seems so deeply challenging. You have given me the encouragement and hope to trust in Christ and know that God loves me and made me the way I am with intricate loving design. You always put a smile on my face brother, and help me to know that my disabilities are not a technical error, but loving design and that I am his child, no matter what the world tries to tell me I am. You are moving hearts through cooperation with the Holy Spirit.”
5:51 AM