Katherine Wolf and her husband, Jay, were working hard, nurturing a new baby, and pouring themselves into others at church. But dark days lay ahead. Today, from a wheelchair, she proclaims, “Don’t waste what God is doing in the darkness!”
On their website, Jay and Katherine tag-team a video recounting the events of April 21, 2008. Katherine had been feeling “off.” Jay wondered whether they would soon welcome a second baby. But when 26-year-old Katherine’s limbs went numb and her pupils became large, black disks, Jay knew something was terribly wrong.
The doctor told Jay his wife would likely not survive. She had suffered a massive stroke, the result of a brain defect from birth, a ticking time bomb that exploded that day.
But Katherine lived. She endured years of intense therapy and high-risk surgeries. She re-learned speaking, eating, and walking.
Katherine admits wondering whether God made a mistake. But His answer was clear: Katherine! I don’t make mistakes.
Today, Katherine speaks at schools, churches, and women’s ministries. Peppered with scripture, her message often includes the kind of advice she recently shared at Liberty University:
1. “You are not fragile . . . because of Jesus in your story.” Katherine still suffers double vision, facial paralysis, an uncooperative right arm, and more. Yet she reminds Christians, “Greater is He who is in you!” (1 John 4:4)
2. “If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.” Katherine reminds listeners that humans’ days are numbered (Psalm 90:12) but even in frailty, everyone has a calling. She believes God is writing a good/hard story in every Christian’s life.
3. “You can dream new dreams.” As a young adult, Katherine imagined being a model. After her stroke, she thought that was gone forever. But God gave her a modeling job with the American Stroke Association. Hello, ginormous photo in Times Square! Katherine encourages others to pivot to a new story and see where God takes it.
Like Jesus, the Wolfs have hearts for suffering people. They founded a week-long camp and year-round support community for families touched by disabilities. They opened a coffee shop to employ the disabled.
At Liberty, a friend and I wait in line for Katherine to sign copies of her book. She’s almost late to another appointment. The staff urges everyone to keep interactions short.
But Katherine can’t help connecting with people.
When our turn comes, we blurt out that we rode the train seven hours to hear her. She gasps, hugs us, and thanks us for coming. We’re humbled and teary-eyed as we leave this spirit-filled woman smiling and scrawling in another book:
Blessings! — Katherine
Is. 45:3
Blessings indeed.
by Kim Stegall in Greenville, South Carolina
Why? The darkness of human tragedy still has purpose because of our good and gracious God.
