Rejoice - Timeout Story

September 9, 2006. It started as a normal college football game in Neyland Stadium. If anything, the event was an afterthought, dropped into the schedule at the last minute.

For Inky Johnson, though, the game changed everything. A routine tackle turned into a life-threatening injury, and nothing has been normal for Inky ever since. Not with a paralyzed right arm. Not with daily pain. Not with constant physical challenges.

As a projected first round NFL draft pick entering his junior year, he had the whole world in front of him. All he had to do was play the next 10 games and then he would be a multi-millionaire.

His dream had always been to play professional sports. Growing up in a rough part of Atlanta, Inky set his sights on better. You might think his injury would have destroyed his motivation, broken his will and crushed his spirit. But that’s only because you don’t know Inky.

Who is Inquoris “Inky” Johnson? He could be described as the survivor of an underprivileged past. He could be described as a refugee of poverty and violence. He could be described as a success story stained by tragedy. But if you look deeper, you’ll discover something else.

You’ll see a man gripped by the promise that God has purposes and plans far beyond our own. And you’ll be inspired by his relentless determination, which he loves to impart to others through his dramatic story.

“My arm may be paralyzed but my heart isn’t, my spirit isn’t and my mind isn’t.”Inky’s will to impact others has driven him to be the successful man he is today. He speaks all over the country to teams, colleges and businesses alike. Inky is a believer that “...things don’t happen to you, they happen for you.” When your will is tested, you must not play the victim of circumstances but rather the victor.

How would you have reacted if you were in Inky’s shoes?

What is a phrase that sticks out to you that Inky said?

What challenges might you face this season?

Will you get bitter or better when the challenges come?