Meeting Coop - Nora's Story

I met Coop at Carolina Point when I was on the GoKarts team on summer staff. He was one of the Young Life leaders who brought campers to ride the GoKarts and we were introduced. One day during the week, I was walking alongside him on the sidewalk, and we started talking about the rest of my summer. I told him that I was going to be on summer staff again at SharpTop session 3, and he stopped in his wheelchair and said, “I’m Coop! I am one of your Summer Staff coordinators.” I was surprised because I knew one of my coordinators was some guy named Coop, but I never ever made the connection that it was him. Coop asked for my number so we could talk before our session. Towards the end of the week, Coop came to one of our summer staff meetings and shared his testimony. I’ll never forget how I felt when he told us, “I’m thankful God put me in a wheelchair.” I was shocked. I had just completed a school year that felt like the worst year of my life, full of anxiety, OCD, and depression. I had been the lowest I had ever been. The last thing I would ever imagine doing is praising the Lord for that trial, and I was still really angry about it. But hearing Coop thank the Lord for his disability really rocked my world. 

After that trip Coop and I talked on the phone before our assignment at SharpTop started. He asked about my concerns and fears. I told him I was desperately afraid of heights and how I was afraid of being on the ropes team. I really wanted to challenge myself and allow the Lord to step into that with me though. Coop told me he was afraid of people judging him for being in a wheelchair, and asked if I would help him eat, and if I would hang out with him. He cracked so many jokes, and every time he would laugh, I could not stop my face from beaming. His laugh is so darn contagious, it doesn’t matter how I feel, I always smile when he laughs. Anyway, Coop really knew we were going to be friends and was confident in that. 

Like I said earlier, I came into summer staff absolutely terrified of heights. Every single day I had to stand on top of a 45 foot tower for 2-3 hours, and I was not a happy gal. During free-time Coop would bop around and visit all the summer staffers. I was on the top of the tower one of the days and he just sat down there on the ground and encouraged me. I could hear him calling my name and just telling me I could do it. I felt comfort when he was down there. Coop didn’t even need to talk or say anything, just knowing he was on the ground somewhat close to me brought me comfort. If I had it my way, he’d be on top of the tower with me every single day. Through that session Coop and I continued to grow in our friendship as we just laughed, joked around, and talked about real things. He asked me about my mom, who struggled with an addiction to alcohol, and he wasn’t afraid to ask me other questions about my life. I asked him about what it was like to be in a wheelchair and learned more about his day to day life. To me that’s how I know our friendship is true. We weren’t afraid to ask each other hard questions because we knew it was coming from a place of caring, not judgement.

God taught me a lot through summer staff. One of those things is that I'm thankful for my friendship with Coop. I learned that God has made him with wisdom, trust, and faithfulness from and in the Lord.  I learned that God did not make a single mistake when he made Coop. I learned that Coop is witty, kind, funny, understanding, thoughtful, truthful, loving, and brave. I admire him. I admire his strength, faithfulness, and heart for the Lord.