God Uses the Worst to Give Us His Best
What one woman’s tragedy teaches us about the eternal treasures hidden in suffering.
It was 1976. Vicky Olivas, a young mother freshly abandoned by her husband, stood at the precipice of despair. She needed work, she needed stability, and she needed to believe that something good might still be possible. What she found instead was horror. Her job interview turned into a violent assault that left her paralyzed and forever changed.
Shot in the neck, Vicky became a quadriplegic. Her assailant? Released from prison after three short years. Her sentence? A lifetime of paralysis.
But what could have been the end of her story was only the beginning not just of physical suffering, but of spiritual rebirth.
The Light in the Dark
Vicky’s path eventually crossed with another quadriplegic, who began to share Christ with her. Through Bible study, friendship, and honest conversations, the broken pieces of her life began to reassemble around one unshakeable truth: God had not abandoned her.
She discovered Romans 8:28–29, perhaps the most soul-stabilizing promise for any believer:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good... to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
It didn’t mean that her pain disappeared or that her body was restored. But it did mean her suffering was not wasted.
Redefining 'Good'
The “good” God promises isn’t always the good we picture. We often equate it with restoration, success, or healing. We pray for reconciled relationships, physical strength, or financial breakthroughs. But God’s definition of good is eternal Christlikeness, holiness, perseverance, and deep intimacy with Him.
Psalm 84:11 assures us that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. That includes grace, peace, joy, and sustaining hope. But it also includes hardship that refines us, trials that draw us near, and pain that prunes pride. “No good thing” doesn’t mean “no hard thing.”
In Matthew 7:11, Jesus affirms the Father’s good heart:
“How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
The “good” might not come as a job, a healing, or a resolution but it always comes as more of Him.
Why Suffering Sometimes Stays
God allows suffering not as punishment, but as preparation. As Scripture tells us:
It reminds us of our dependence on God (2 Corinthians 1:9).
It allows us to share in Christ’s sufferings (Philippians 3:10).
It shapes our character and produces endurance (Romans 5:3–4).
It prepares us for an eternal glory beyond imagination (2 Corinthians 4:17).
It fans the flame of obedience (Hebrews 5:8).
It awakens us to eternity (Psalm 90:12).
When we suffer, we learn that this world is not our home. We are pilgrims, passing through. And with every step, we’re being transformed not into more efficient or successful people, but into people who resemble Jesus.
God's Mercy in the Middle
Vicky found herself in what felt like a living nightmare, but through it, God gave her the one thing no violence could take salvation. The God who didn’t stop the bullet used the wound to draw her to Himself.
Vicky would later write, “I can truly say that my wheelchair is a gift from God.” Her words aren’t romanticized suffering; they are testimony to divine mercy. She saw the wheelchair not as a curse, but as the chariot that carried her to the foot of the cross.
She longed not for walking legs, but for a life that bore proof of her love for Jesus.
More Than We Deserve
Romans 8:32 reminds us:
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
If God gave us Jesus the highest, holiest gift we can trust Him with everything else. Our comfort. Our suffering. Our questions. Our futures.
John Piper once said, “If God has done the hardest, most painful thing imaginable in order to make us happy, then beyond a doubt, he will do the rest whatever it takes to make us consummately happy in him forever.”
The Shadow of Glory
Vicky knows that her paralysis is temporary, but her soul is eternal. Her faith isn’t in a healed body now, but in a perfected one to come. Her trust is not in justice on earth, but in the righteous Judge who never makes a mistake. And while the man who harmed her may enjoy fleeting pleasures, she rests in the assurance that true justice and true mercy will prevail in the end.
She wrote, “I want to have as much tangible proof as possible of my love for him... Knowing Jesus is worth it.”
May we all live with such resolve.
If this testimony moved you, consider sharing it with someone who’s questioning God’s goodness in their pain. Or subscribe to our newsletter for more stories that show how God brings eternal beauty from life’s deepest bruises.
Reply
Eric Green • 12 hours ago
Freddie, I’ve been disabled for 15 years and most of it have been in pain, however, my faith in Jesus, and in God has never been dulled. Please don’t allow yourself to continue to be jaded and see only the negative in the world and in yourself. I know more than anyone that things can seem bleak. However, God is always there for us, and if you allow yourself to see the positives in the world and in your life, then you will see that God has always been there for you. Jesus has called us by name and we are his. If I can help you in anyway please reach out to me. My email is Goofyzstud@msn.com.
Freddie McNabb • 15 hours ago
This really doesn't move me. I am tired of the difficulties, the disappointment, the lies from family members in the form of false promises, the loneliness, disability. I would love to believe this has a purpose, but I see others not suffering, including really wicked people as well as brothers and sisters in Christ. Sorry, but the older I get, the more jaded I become, feeling this religious nonsense is like Marx said--an opiate that deceives us into accepting injustice.
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