Blind Opportunity With Derek Graham

Hello all, welcome to the hope without

sight Podcast with your hosts Saylor Cooper,

and Tyler Evans.

The topic of this podcast will consist of many

stories of people from various backgrounds and experiences, who

have had many challenges and have been able to successfully

overcome them and rise to the top.

So sit back and relax as we give you the best of

these diverse stories.

Because if you are feeling down and out, like

you cannot make it in the world, then this podcast is the right

one for you. Because if my guests can make it, so can you

happy listening?

What's happening guys, we're here at the NFB

conference with shine, podcast and hope without sight, Saylor,

take it away, brother, what are we doing?

Yes, we're interviewing people who overcome

challenges in life because our podcasts are very similar. mock

ups inspires people to shine I inspire people to dream big and

look beyond how without sight because there's hope and you can

truly live a life full of blessed with less reign supreme

bliss. Yes. So we've had a great conference so far. Yes.

And so I'm here with my great friend, Tamar,

Hello. Tell them how we met tell him a little backstory. Just a

little quick backstory.

So Mark was in my university, and all of a sudden,

I bumped into him in the hallway coming out from the restroom.

That's right. And I guess he sees my cane. And from there it

was history.

Yeah, I was saying I was so interested. I'm

like, Whoa, a blind person. I've never had a lengthy conversation

with I'd love to tap into their perspective into what life's

like as a blind person who might and then I said that kind of in

my mind, sort of a form of a prayer that I walk outside the

restroom, and I hear tambor say, Hey, anybody around and I jumped

on the opportunity. I said, I say, Yeah, I'm right here.

What's up, man? How can I help?

I mean, I was doing that because I was at the end of the

hallway where I never been before. Yeah, I'm looking for

the exit.

Correct? Yeah. And so the rest is history. We

have a podcast with Tamar and his story. Go check that out on

the shop podcast. Yeah. But now we're here joined by a new

friend that I just met today. Derek, tell us who you are. Tell

us your last name. Because I wonder your last name. Tell it

tell them about what you do. And,

you know, well, my name is Derek Graham. I'm from

the state of North Carolina with the Forsyth chapter. He went to

convention here in Houston. And I assumed I met Mark man, I was

what I was doing, I was looking for my way to the pocket CEOs

restaurant. And here's this guy, Mark. And we started talking and

he told me about the podcast. And I was in, I was enthralled

by the I guess I will say the mission that he's on. And I

guess I would say use my story as an encouragement to others

who may have challenges in life so that they too can dream big

accomplish what it is that they want to accomplish. And I think

Mark and Sailor for giving me this opportunity to sit here

with you gentlemen today. So I'm able to I'm having a great time

here at convention really,

yeah, that's good to hear, man. Last year was my

first year, camera and Saylor. I was with them the entire time.

But we were hosting interviews last year to in Louisiana, New

Orleans. And it wasn't so pleasing to the blind folks,

there was I heard Saylor was saying that, like 10 people got

hit by a car like it was it was very risky out there. And so God

willing, there's been some improvements made, in case you

know, blind folks are out there. You know, we all need

accommodations. We all need awareness spread out this kind

of stuff. So

about the feedback they took from the last experience.

Right, and, you know, improving what needed to be proved in

order to make this convention more successful.

Yes, yes.

So let's jump into a Derick. We want to know

your story. My brother, tell us from the beginning. Tell us tell

us how you acquired this challenge. You know, I was

talking to Derek and he said, maybe a minor adjustment you

could make regarding talking about blindness. Don't call it a

disability. Let's start there. Let's start there. Derek, I'm

gonna talk about that.

The reason I say it's not a disability is because

When you disable something that means you immobilise it there is

no life so I encourage mark to say challenge yes because yeah

challenge offers us you know, motivation should motivate me

well for me it motive challenge offers me a mode of

opportunity

opportunity for growth for instance in 2004 I

lost my sight due to a car accident and it hurt it did hurt

me this is gonna hurt man

You can share it brother we can get deep brother.

That's what we're here. We're here to get deep and we're here

to overcome and share Sharon like on the hardship. Like go

ahead Jesus name.

I thought this was gonna be a little easy.

Yeah, it's all gonna take a minute whatever you

do well, man,

yeah. Anyway, I lost my sight physical sight 19

years ago at 17 but is more

and it was hard hard when it flooded you it

overwhelmed you did.

However, it gave me an opportunity to look at

myself even deeper than I've ever looked before. And then I

gave myself over to my Creator to guide a man footsteps because

I could no longer physically see where I was going.

In those 19 years, I have met a lot of people sighted and

unsighted. And one of the questions that's always asked to

me is how do I continue to keep going? That's a good question.

So my challenge offers me an ability to see higher heights

keep

I can just breathe you know, look, this can

be something that you've been holding on to for a while and

it's good that you lend it out. And then you let those tears

follow you let that hang out. God is gonna heal that. Jesus

bless Derek and Jesus were all things work

together for the good. Yeah. So yeah, I want to

get so so so in this way. He is a challenge for me to even talk

about.

Yes.

However, it gives me scripts down to you know.

Just talking about it right now shows me that I'm still

overcoming challenges this challenge. I realise how deep it

still hurt.

Yes, sir. It's a daily struggle. It's a daily

thing.

However, though, being here at the conventions,

it gives me hope. Like I heard the man say, say, yes, it said

saying how do you say hope without sight?

Yeah,

I guess. Like for.

So for me this challenge is to look past the

physical sight and see with a vision that that overcomes any

challenge or obstacle that I might face in life. But this is

when I got my app about 15 years of being blind. I got bored

sitting at home family was taking care of me, you know, I

didn't have a care in the world and

board board. Yeah.

I didn't feel like I was contributing to life. And

so I I began working at IFP solutions in Winston Salem,

North Carolina. That organisation gave me hope, or

purpose. Yeah. It gave me it gave me a feeling of purpose and

contribution. I was contributing because I build mattresses now

at IP solutions in North Carolina. And even though we're

able to go into the military, I build I contribute to the

military by building things that they need.

So you want to be a soldier?

Yeah, well, I am a soldier of God. Yes, it is. It

is a challenge day by day to be a beacon of light to others

sometimes when when sometimes I can't see the light

Right. Yeah. Yes, sir.

However, I'm able to feel it. Yeah, you.

Because we know that light gives off heat

energy. Yes. So I allow that energy to embrace me, I embrace

that energy. And it gives me the strength to overcome the

challenges that I have day to day. In my personal life, my

work life, social life. And I guess what I would sum it up

with is, what is it that keeps giving me that script to face

those challenges? Self love, self worth overcoming the

challenges of not feeling worthy overcoming the challenges of not

feeling like I am worthy? Yeah, well, we did. Oh, yeah. So So So

So yeah, this this script is though, the keep fighting those

challenges comes from my, the work that I've done to keep

fighting, keep living, embracing those challenges and

encouraging. I actually have a mission statement that I've

because I have done work on this, I have a mission statement

that my my mission statement is I love myself unconditionally by

loving others unconditionally. Yeah. And so that that gives me

strength to keep facing my challenges, so that I can

encourage others inspire others to do the same. So they can be

more unified in the body of Christ, amen. So that as we

serve Christ, we can also be more fortified in going out and

sharing this light to encourage others and bring them into home

homeless hole. Yes, sometimes our challenges can make us feel

as if we're in pieces. In fact, like, yes.

A little bit. Now actually spending, it's getting

better.

So I hope that my story encourages others, to

embrace their challenges. And don't look at it as a

disability. Because disabilities disable us. Yeah, they did it

around disabilities caused us to become stuck. Yes, yeah.

Disability sometimes caused us to not want to, well, to be

disabled, in my mind is to be dead. And so I encourage us,

those of us who may have what we call disabilities to fit that

and say, my challenge enables me instead of disabled. Yep. You

know, so I want to thank you guys, Mark and Sailor for giving

given me this opportunity to realise that I'm still hearing

yours.

You're releasing debt, and you're making great

contributions to society. So

just believe that there was no coincidence that we

met today, brother.

Yeah. Well, I don't believe in coincidence. No

way. This is a pattern. Yeah. This is already a blueprint that

we must follow.

Yeah, this is God sent. us God said, and I want to

pray with you. Can I pray with you? Yes, yes. I'm gonna kneel

down right here in front of you. Let's get some hands. Yeah,

yeah. Your hand in here. You want to give Saylor the other

hand? Yeah, yeah. All right. God Almighty. Yeah. Thank you so

much for introducing me to Derek today. And to bring in me once

again to the blind conference, so I can meet some amazing

people like to share some light. And that's why we're here. We're

loving. We're sharing light. And we're marching and your purpose

that you have for us, and you're bringing us closer god, this is

no coincidence. And we know that you're working. You are pulling

strings, you are wearing the palm of your hand. God we feel

that love. We're so grateful for that love. And this man reminds

me of my nephew. And even looks like my nephew man is amazing. I

feel like an extra love for this man. Because he looks like my

nephew that I love so much cam cam I know you're probably

watching brother. Man, you know what I want to I want to say I

want to ask God that you continue to heal my friend, that

you you help them to feel whole with your plan for him that you

give him the newfound faith and healing that will just continue

to light up his path and Jesus named light up his path. Show

him the love and bring it deep into his heart and into his mind

and into his soul mate to His Spirit Of course, so that he can

feel peace and so that he can have a new chapter of being even

stronger soldier for you got a new chapter in Jesus mighty name

we thank you for this. Amen.

Amen. Yeah, come on, Jesus. We hope you enjoyed

this episode of help without citing with sailor Cooper and

Tyler Evans and got a lot of takeaways from this podcast. We

help you feel renewed, inspired and encouraged. Like you can

just carry on and conquer the world.

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And in the meantime, blessings to all