When Everything Changes: Patric Young on Disability, Identity, and Trusting God through Adversity

What happens when the life you've built changes in an instant?

Former professional basketball player Patric Young seemed to have everything ahead of him: a successful athletic career, a new job, and a wedding just days away. Then a devastating car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and forced him to confront big questions of identity, purpose, and faith.

In this conversation, Patric shares how God met him in suffering, taught him to surrender what he could not control, and helped him discover that his value was never rooted in his abilities. Together, Stephanie and Patric discuss disability, grief, community, perseverance, and the hope that remains even when circumstances don't change.

Whether you're navigating disability, chronic hardship, caregiving, or an unexpected life transition, this episode offers biblical encouragement and practical wisdom for trusting God in the middle of life's hardest seasons.

Follow Patric on Instagram: @patricyoung4

Get a copy of Patric’s book, Sit to Rise: Turning Your Darkest Pain into Your Brightest Victory

Learn about the Patric Young Foundation

MENTIONED RESOURCES:

A Place of Healing, Joni Eareckson Tada

Win the Day, Mark Batterson

The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson

Failing Forward, John C. Maxwell

KEY QUESTIONS:

 What does it look like to choose hope when your circumstances haven't yet changed?

What is God teaching you in your current season?

KEY SCRIPTURES:

James 1:2-4: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Romans 8:18: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

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Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.