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A Last Wave and a First Step

Walt Levy’s last time on a surfboard was his first step to life change.

John VandenOever December 1, 2021

“When you’re paralyzed, you know it within a fraction of a second,” said Walt Levy, recounting the surfing accident that changed his life. A wave off Delaware’s Fenwick Island lifted him high, and then somewhere under the surface, he heard his neck snap. Before he blacked out, he prayed, “Lord, please don’t make this any more painful. I can’t hold my breath any longer.”

Photography by Ben Rollins

Three days later Levy awoke in the trauma unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Feeling discouraged and helpless, he asked for the television to be set for Charles Stanley’s message every Sunday. Dr. Stanley, as familiar as family to Levy, was someone he had listened to since age 11, back when his mother would call him inside to hear the sermon. “Everything he says is the truth,” said Levy. “It’s practical; it’s the way it is.”

At 15 and the oldest boy at home, Levy quit the school football team to work. That’s because, as he put it, “When my father split, he was like, ‘You guys are on your own,’” which left Mom with a mortgage and a house full of children. Over the next 28 years, Levy went from pushing shopping carts to managing supermarkets. A career change brought him to the cusp of being a mover and shaker in Washington, D.C., until that fateful trip to the beach. “I was wavering, neglecting my time with God,” he said of the time leading up to the accident. “I was filled with pride and hungry for things.” Then the accident changed everything fast.

The days of rehab turned to months. Wondering why he was chosen to suffer, Levy nevertheless trusted the Lord’s plan and often meditated on the life of Job. And so he prayed for the kind of restoration Job had experienced, telling God that if his ability to drive was restored, he’d take care of people and give a ride to whoever needed one.

Levy walks and serves, grateful for God’s strength in his weakness.

Generous and sociable, Levy is infused with an infectious joy. His head full of memories, he speaks freely of God’s faithfulness. After the accident, it was months before he took his first steps, but today he walks on his own, with a little shuffle to his gait. And true to his word, Levy drives neighbors and new friends everywhere. He mows lawns for those who can’t, calling it the best kind of physical therapy. And once a year he drives to Maryland from his home in New Jersey to reconnect with the caring staff who helped rehabilitate him. 

Levy still questions God about the accident, though now for a different reason: Why did he recover while so many others do not? He’ll never know, so he keeps moving, telling the story. “If I can bring one person closer to the Lord, it was worth it.”

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