The Best Day of My Life
In This Reflection:
Surviving a brain injury
Relearning basic life skills after trauma
Wrestling with loss and unexpected gratitude
Discovering faith in the aftermath
Finding purpose through serving others
In 2015, I was stopped in traffic on the freeway when an 18-wheel truck rear-ended my vehicle.
In an instant, my life changed…
I sustained a traumatic brain injury. Half of my brain was damaged, and 2/3 of my skull had to be replaced. I spent six months in the hospital. When I came home, I had to relearn how to eat, walk, and talk. My left arm and leg were left disabled.
Recovery was not quick.
It was daily therapy.
Daily dependence.
Daily surrender.
There were many moments when I could focus only on what I lost. Instead, over time, I began to notice something else: how God was opening and closing doors in ways I never expected.
In 2018, I was introduced to a church. I found God :) My faith began to grow. During the COVID season in 2020, I wrote out my testimony presentation - not just as a story of survival, but as a story of purpose. Everything Happens For A Reason, The Lord took a near-death accident to create an unexpected story. God Makes Miracles!
Something shifted in me when I realized I could thank the truck driver. Not because the accident was easy. Not because the pain wasn’t real. But because that day, as devastating as it was, became the turning point that led me to the life I live now.
Today, I shared my testimony at more than 15 churches and schools. I help hold church services in jails and prisons. I encourage others who feel forgotten or stuck.
What people often misunderstand about trauma is how deeply it changes you - and how God can still move You within that change. I walk with a big limp; my left arm doesn’t work. It changed all my relationships. But it also opened my heart to be there for anyone.
Now, something as simple as walking down the street, giving someone a genuine compliment, or showing respect to a stranger fills my heart. Small acts matter more than I ever realized.
I don’t pretend the journey was easy. Brain injury is personal. It is invisible in many ways. But I have learned that even when doors close, others open.
We are all going through a struggle, and yes, I have said this so many times. I can do this on my own! Honestly, it means more to the person that they are helping you. Try to let them do it, will strengthen your relationship with God.
If you are walking through something difficult, your story is not over. It may look different than you expected - but purpose can still grow in places you never planned.
And sometimes, the day that feels like the worst day of your life. But it becomes the one that changes everything for the better. The Lord made it happen for a reason.
Written by: Trevor Stotka
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I believe God can make good out of even the worst situations. My accident was devastating, but it became the beginning of a deeper faith and purpose. That’s why I share my story.
