Cedarville Magazine, Winter 2016

Later, in the trauma center at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Huff — even through incredible pain — made sure every doctor, nurse, hospital employee, and visitor knew, “This was for my good and His glory.” Huff would spend two weeks in the hospital suffering from a broken wrist, a gouge on the back of his left arm, broken ribs, a broken fibula in his left leg, and swelling to his left foot. He also suffered serious internal injuries, including a bruised colon, and lost his spleen. Through all of it, he kept an eternal perspective. “God does all things well and good,” he explained. “Why? Because He loves me and knows what is best.” Months following the accident, Huff recorded a message for students that was played during the Thanksgiving chapel service. Paraphrasing 1 Thessalonians 5:18, he said, “I give thanks in all things. I give thanks for being hit by a truck.” His message resonated with students and has provided many opportunities to speak with them as they wrestle with their growing faith. Most want to know how he can give thanks after what he endured. “I want them to understand that no matter what happens, whether I’m hit by a truck or not hit by a truck, I rest in Christ,” he said. “I give thanks in all things. God is still good, no matter what.” Huff ’s story found its way to local papers and even on the national K-LOVE radio network. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that my accident would get the coverage it did,” Huff shared. “I always asked myself, ‘How do I take this accident and point people to Christ?’ because that’s who I am. I am a child of His. It’s not about me; it’s about Christ.” Today, although he is back to work full time, he is still recovering from his injuries. He suffers posttraumatic stress symptoms, including a fear of falling and a fear of being hit from behind, especially when he walks around campus and bikes and skateboards approach him from behind. “This has been an unbelievable trial in my life, but God has a plan,” he shared. “I count it all joy.” THROUGH HIS STRENGTH Rachel Zeiter ’15 was born with a significant visual impairment called Peters Anomaly, a rare cornea disease. She hasn’t been able to see out of her right eye since kindergarten, and she lost a significant amount of vision in her left eye as a sophomore in college. Despite this obvious limitation, Zeiter survived — and thrived — as a Cedarville student, graduating with honors last May with a degree in special education. With courage and determination — along with the support of her Cedarville family — Zeiter was able to navigate, both literally and figuratively, the complexities of college life. “It was certainly a challenge,” she explained, “but God surrounded me with people who really cared about me and helped me.” With assistance fromCedarville’s Academic Enrichment Center, The Cove, and an Orientation Mobility Specialist, she learned how to successfully maneuver the campus. The only thing that made her stand out from her classmates was the cane she used to get around. Zeiter’s story attracted the attention of local and national media leading up to graduation last spring. She saw it as a way to encourage others. “I was happy to tell my story,” she said. “It gave me a chance to share what God was doing in my life. God really worked with me as a college student, and the articles served as a way for me to summarize that and share it with everyone.” She even found herself featured online and on-air through the K-LOVE radio network, a chance to tell her story to a national audience. “God might allow you to experience something that’s difficult, because we all have difficult situations,” Zeiter said in her interview with K-LOVE, “but we can, through His strength, get through them.” Now, as a special education history and English teacher at Hamilton Freshman School near Cincinnati, Ohio, Zeiter uses the lessons she’s learned throughout her life to encourage her students. She wants them to know that no matter what their impairment may be, they can accomplish great things. “Some of themwant to believe that they can’t do things,” she explained, “but I can use what I’ve gone through to connect with them and say, ‘Hey, I had to switch from reading print to reading braille at age 20; you can work through something if you set goals for yourself.’” Zeiter sees her limitations as part of God’s plan for her life and a way He has chosen to use her. “God’s given me this disability, but also this experience, so that I can reach out to others, whether it’s other people who have similar vision loss or my students,” she explained. “I’ve had challenges in life, but these challenges will help me in the classroom,” said Zeiter. “God has givenme some very supportive people in my personal and professional life, and I know that His promise to take care of me is true, even when it is difficult.” Michele (Cummings) Solomon ’91 is the Copy Editor for Cedarville University Marketing. 16 | Cedarville Magazine