Few can imagine going through life with the kind of determination and optimism exhibited by evangelist and motivational speaker Nicholas Vujicic.
Born in Australia to Serbian parents in 1982 with a rare condition called tetra-amelia syndrome, Vujicic entered the world without arms or legs.
“As a kid, I was told that I was special, that I was beautiful, that God had a plan for me. That’s what my parents said,” said Vujicic, speaking with The Dallas Express.
Some four decades later, Vujicic is living in Allen with his wife and four children, enjoying a successful career as a renowned Christian public speaker. However, moving forward with the kind of faith and courage he is currently known for did not always necessarily seem like a given to him.
“When I was 10 years old, I tried to drown myself. I tried to commit suicide in six inches of water. And I didn’t go through with that suicide only because of one thought, realizing that if I did go through [with it], I would leave a gaping hole for the rest of my parents’ lives in their hearts and souls,” Vujicic said. “And so I didn’t want to leave them with that pain. So I decided to stay, and then by the grace of God, you know, I realize that just because I have no arms, no legs, it doesn’t mean that I’m less valuable.”
“I realized then and there, the truth of myself was there is no one that is more important than me, and there’s no one that’s less important than me. And that’s the truth. We all have value, whether we have a disability or not. And all life has value. And so in that, I am thankful [I can] bolster confidence, self-confidence, self-esteem, an attitude of gratitude, and patience,” he added.
Vujicic has traveled to nearly 80 countries over the course of his career, speaking in front of live audiences and appearing on television, getting his message of perseverance and faith out to people all over the world.
“In fact, I’m a mandatory inspirational study in the English subject textbook of the Indian government,” he said. “And even the word God is in it with a capital G. I’m a terrorist if I say Jesus in a public school here. But in India, in a Hindu nation, where I actually should not even reproduce, according to their religion, I’m an inspiration.”
Vujicic has been speaking at the multi-day Big Jesus Tent event in Allen this week at 630 Rivercrest Blvd.
“Big Jesus Tent is an inspiring event to offer hope to the hurting and to address the issues plaguing our culture today, such as addiction, trafficking, bullying, depression, and suicide,” reads an event description.
The event was organized in partnership with Church Eleven32 on Riverside Boulevard in Allen.
“They were who gave us the land to actually pitch the tent,” Vujicic said.
The Dallas Express asked Vujicic if he had been inspired by the periodically popular camp meetings and tent revivals that characterized certain trends in religiosity over the course of U.S. history, from the Great Awakening of the early 1700s to as recently as the 1960s.
“It came through a dream. I saw a big white tent in 2016, and I told my team we need to pray for a tent. And I said it only once publicly, and someone said, God told me to buy your tent. Her name was Cynthia. She bought us the tent, and it was phenomenal,” he said.
The final night of the Big Jesus Tent event is Sunday evening, and it will be a bilingual event with Spanish speakers. The event starts at 6:30 p.m., with gates opening at 5:45 p.m.
