Creflo Dollar - Legless Diva
Today, you're about to meet a very, very strong woman. Six years ago, she was in a devastating car wreck that severed her left leg by a guardrail. And then, in order to remove her from the smoking wreckage her right leg had to be dismembered. That day changed her life. Though she now lives life as a double amputee, this woman is not to be pitied. In fact, she says that losing both legs was the best thing to ever happen to her and today you will find out why. I'm Creflo Dollar, and this is "Your World".
Creflo Dollar: Our guest today is not disabled. She's a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman. She's a proud mother of three, and she is proof of miracles and the glory of God's grace. She is Keisha Green. Please welcome Keisha today to "Your World". Yes.
Keisha Green: Thanks for having me, Dr. Dollar.
Creflo Dollar: Keisha, how are you?
Keisha Green: Nice to meet you, sir.
Creflo Dollar: This is the diva, y'all, and you can see why. Now, I am anxiously awaiting to hear your story, because just hearing about it, reading it, it's already inspiring. Take us back to the circumstances that led up to you being in the car and take us through that whole situation. I want you to invite us into your world. I think one of the things that I'd like to do in this segment is really hear your story, because it's pretty fascinating. You're gonna provide so much hope to amputees all over the world. You're gonna let 'em know that "disabled" is a word that doesn't need to be in their vocabulary, so take us into your world.
Keisha Green: Well, first I'd like to say, Dr. Dollar, thank you for having me, and, you know, I just think about that day and spending time with my children, my three boys. I remember taking my son on that very day to his football practice, and I also remember telling him, "Come on". I wanted to go out that evening with my friends, and we went out that night and everything was fine. As we're driving home it's just like literally in a split second my passenger, she thought we were gonna hit the car in front of us. She grabbed the wheel. The car went literally across all four lanes and the guardrail came through and severed my legs immediately.
Creflo Dollar: Came through the car?
Keisha Green: Yes, through the engine block, and so this leg was severed immediately, and this leg was pinned in the middle by the guardrail. And at that point I was still awake, and I just remember calling on Jesus, and I was like, "I gotta get home to my kids". In that split second everything changed. My friend was in the car, my cousin was in the back seat, and she was actually ejected out the back window and immediately my response was to check for the safety of those that was in the car with me, so I remember calling out my friend's name. Her name was Keisha, as well, and then I remember saying, "Alexis," and that was my cousin, and she was out on the trunk. And when I went to take my seatbelt off and to turn around and to pull her back in, my leg flew up on the steering wheel.
Creflo Dollar: Oh, wow. Wow.
Keisha Green: And I was like, "Oh, my leg is gone," but I still couldn't move, so that's when I realized that this leg was pinned, so I was actually stuck. And everybody is just speaking, into panic, and I just remember calling on Jesus and things kinda went really fast from here as the firemen arrived. And there was a gentleman. He blocked off the highway with his 18-wheeler truck. I like to call him an angel 'cause we still haven't found him, and he said, "The ambulance are on their way," and he begins to pray, and I just remember him speaking in tongues, and I looked over at him. And I've never ever seen or heard from him again.
Creflo Dollar: I gotta believe it was an angel, too. In fact, I kinda know it's an angel. I was in a similar car accident, and I actually saw those angels, and you'd be surprised how God, you know, sends people your way. I'm just really blown away. You didn't go into shock or anything after you lost the first leg?
Keisha Green: Well, normally they say if something that tragic happens that there is no pain, so I didn't have any pain immediately. I did begin to experience pain when they were cutting the guardrail out of this leg, and it was burning me, and times often I will look down at the limb and I can see the burn marks underneath, so I knew that it was burning me as they were cutting it out. And I just remember the fireman saying, "Ma'am, we're just trying to get you outta here," and I actually didn't know that they cut this leg off on the highway for about three years.
Creflo Dollar: Really?
Keisha Green: Yes, I never knew. I thought that they both were severed immediately, but then with then reading some of the paperwork I realized that they cut this one off. When they cut the guardrail out they decided to cut the leg. I just remember when they picked me up I felt very light. That evening I never seen the firemen's faces. I've never seen the EMTs, paramedics, or anything. I heard someone say, "Get off at this exit," so I don't ever remember seeing the inside of the hospital or anything until... they say I slept two days on a respirator. I say I spent two days with the Lord.
Creflo Dollar: You better come on now. Excuse me, 'cause this is like, you know, the whole experience as you're telling your story is... it's so divine. It is as if, you know, God was just wrapping you in his arms as you were going through all of this and the comforting power of the Spirit of God in your life, and I'm hearing this, and I 100% agree with you, man. It was a divine experience, having God just watching over his baby until we can get through this.
Keisha Green: Yes, well, on those two days, you know, while I was with the Lord he let me know, he said, "The legs that you had was not strong enough to walk into the territory that I have for you".
Creflo Dollar: All right, now. See, I'm trying to carry myself right now, but we're gonna have some church up in here now. What?
Keisha Green: "The legs that you had was not strong enough to walk into the territory that I have for you". He said, "I will remove all the anger and the fear, and I'm going to place a peace over you that passes all understanding," and when I woke up there was nothing but peace.
Creflo Dollar: And look at her face, so she make me say she gonna be... you an angel yourself sitting up here on the couch? What did you begin to think? I mean, the whole time you're being comforted through this probably painful and shocking and probably all the things that people would normally go through, including a visitation of fear and terror and hopelessness. And you didn't experience any of those things?
Keisha Green: I didn't experience any of those things, and people often ask me, you know, is there times when I feel down or sad? And I never spent time asking God why. I kept saying, "What do you want me to do with this? I know that you did not place this on me to be a burden. What do you want me to do with it"? So, I immediately began seeking the what factor, and I think a lotta people spend a lotta time on the why, opposed to what, because everything, all things, work together. And he just comforted me, and I knew it was gonna be something that most wouldn't understand, but what he gave me for that is he said, "Don't ask people who you are or what you should be. You're something undiscovered".
Creflo Dollar: I'm trying to hold it together, 'cause I'm stealing a couple of them things she just said right now. Were you always this strong in your faith before the accident?
Keisha Green: I was always strong in my faith. I grew up in the church, but I grew up with religion with no relationship.
Creflo Dollar: Did y'all hear that? She said she grew up with religion with no relationship. Now, she got about one more time to say one of them nice phrases before I start shouting up here and tearing the set up. That is such a key. People do not understand. See, religion won't have you going through this like you're going through it, but when you know him and you have a relationship with him and you trust him, he can take you through the troubled water and let somebody tell you about the trouble later on. Amen. So, you know, we talk about the what. You're in the hospital. You have three sons.
Keisha Green: I have three sons.
Creflo Dollar: How did they respond?
Keisha Green: My sons responded very well. It was my youngest one at the time. He was six, and I was really afraid, because I was like that really cool, cute mom and everything, and I was like, "Oh, I don't know if he's gonna be able to embrace me," and even myself I spent four days woke before I looked at the legs. So, I remember asking him did he wanna see, and he said yes, and I said, "Okay". I excused everybody out of the room. I wanted it to just be him and me, and I showed him. He climbed up. He gave me a hug. The next day he came back with about 20 cards that the kids in his class had drew and made for me, and he's like, "My friend says this is his mom number, and he wants you to call her because he wants to come up here and see you". So, I was like, wow, he's not only accepting me, but he's telling his friends about me, so he's excited. That was my main thing, was once my kids accepted me and they were fine with it, I knew that that was all I needed. God had already let me know that he had territory.
Creflo Dollar: So, you didn't have any problems, and hold on that territory, too. I wanna get right back to that. You didn't have any problems accepting yourself?
Keisha Green: No.
Creflo Dollar: So, you got a Word from the Lord that allowed you to stand in the midst of a rough time.
Keisha Green: Yes, because in that Word what he said is, "What you thought you were standing on was standing in your way".
Creflo Dollar: God. Man, walk us through the process, from the hospital to now entering into this new venture, into your life.
Keisha Green: Awaking in the hospital I was... now today I look at it, and I'm like, "Wow! You know, they had so many options for me," you know? We have swimming legs. We have running legs. We have walking legs. They have all kinda things that you can have, and I was like, "Okay," and it wasn't till spending that intimate time with God he began to show me things, like the woman that I had taken care of for a whole year before my accident who couldn't walk. I never took care of her. She prepared me. Everything that I did for her was what allowed me to come directly home and never go into the rehabilitation center.
Creflo Dollar: So, it was that training back then, right?
Keisha Green: Yes, and when they said most people go home in a year and they walk in 18 months. I remember listening and as they went to walk out the door I said, "You said most people, right"? The Lord brought me home in three and a half weeks.
Creflo Dollar: What?
Keisha Green: The Lord brought me home in three and a half weeks. I walked in eight months.
Creflo Dollar: Describe your family and your loved ones the day they saw you walking.
Keisha Green: The first time I really walked publicly I did it for my church, and I wanted to do it for my church because they had been praying for me, and I needed them to know that we serve a God that answers prayers, so when I walked for them it was like a joy, you know? It was like we knew God could do it, and I wanted to really give them that, but something happened.
Creflo Dollar: What happened?
Keisha Green: I started spending time with the Lord, and he began to show me how I was being tricked and that immediately... upon him allowed me to know that the legs that I had wasn't strong enough to walk into the territory. People were offering me things to stand in my way again, and he said, "Here it is. I've created a lane that's just for you, and here it is. You're paying to blend in with what the world said you should be," and I stopped wearing the legs.
Creflo Dollar: Wow! I mean, what you're saying, I can't use the word "unbelievable" 'cause that's just not where we are, right? We believe, but it's such an encouraging thing. I'm reminded of Galatians chapter 1 where Paul said, "I've gotta make a decision. Either I'm gonna be a servant to man, or I'm gonna be a servant to God," and you refused to even allow image to rob you from the opportunity to be able to be a servant to God. So, did you see this as almost like a badge that you could wear so that people could see the glory of God as they look at you and say all of what you couldn't do and you turn around and do it anyway? Did you see that as giving glory to God?
Keisha Green: Yes, because I felt like when I was wearing the prosthetics there is a way that I can blend in and I could cover up what God did. Everybody wouldn't know, but God showed me when I rolled in that chair you don't know if I was born that way. You don't know if I became sick. You don't know what happened, but you know that something happened, and I know somebody, so it's undeniable.
Creflo Dollar: I don't know if I've ever met anybody like you. I don't know, and I've met a lotta people, but you have such a grace on you. That it is so inspiring and so encouraging and so organic and so real. You know, in these days the church has perfected phoniness to such a point you don't know if this is just something they do when they're on a stage or do they live this way, and today I feel like I'm having the honor of meeting someone who's so privileged to be in the Lord's service. That it humbles me to know that there are people that live today who say, "For God I live and for God I die, but my life belongs to the Lord". Amen. That's just a blessing. I'm gonna look at three phrases. I'm gonna call those phrases out, and I want you to respond to those phrases. "Don't sweat the small stuff".
Keisha Green: Nothing is bigger than God.
Creflo Dollar: "Refuse to complain".
Keisha Green: Each and every day that we wake up and we have breath in our body, everything else is changeable.
Creflo Dollar: "Somebody's problems are bigger than mine".
Keisha Green: You have no idea what other people have gone through, and they don't look like what they've been through, so never assume. And if I can elaborate a little bit more on that one. Sometimes I will go places, and I will park in a handicap spot, and because my upper image don't look gracefully broken people would assume I don't belong there. I get stares. I get people telling me, "You don't need to park there. My mom needs to park there". And I just say, "People don't look like what they've been through, so don't assume".
Creflo Dollar: People think they know what people have gone through, but they have no idea what a person's gone through, and I'm gonna tell you something. That is a powerful, powerful word, and it should encourage us to not look like what we've gone through. You certainly don't look like what you've gone through.
Keisha Green: I don't think we should look like what we've been through, but I don't want us to think because of what people look like that they haven't been through and that they're not going through.
Creflo Dollar: Wow! The territory. Let's talk about that. What are you now doing to minister to people who don't carry themselves with such confidence as you do? I mean, how do you encourage those people who are amputees? How do you encourage people who look at their situation, and they say, "This is the worst thing in life. My life is over. I don't have a life"? Tell us the, really, the plan and what God's put on your heart and how you minister in this way.
Keisha Green: One of the things that allows me to get up and to be who it is that I've been assigned to be is that there are so many people, they face challenges, and they just truly don't see there is a way. You know, I say to allow your trials to become your trails, and I just know that there are so many people out there they have doubt, and I just believe if every day I just continue to be who I am, even if it's just taking my wheelchair apart and breaking it down and putting it outside of the car, and there is someone across the parking lot that just needs that, you know what? I can do this. I can do this, and I just feel honored to be chosen. Now what I'm doing is I do elevation coaching to help people break past those barriers and those boundaries that they think are there, 'cause it's really just a mind thing. I also have a company called Resilient Raw, so I've been bringing platforms for my amputee women and my wheelchair women, just bringing them to the forefront where they can be seen for who they are. Not what they look like, but for who they are. I now do building. I do construction. I build luxury with accessibility because I believe that just because a person doesn't have the accessibility to walk stairs and things like that doesn't mean that they shouldn't live in beautiful homes and go places to have beautiful service. When I became that woman I realized that the places I would go to get my hair done, the places I would go to get my lashes, none of these places were accessible, and I just began to see so many gaps, and God said, "I created a lane that was just for you and so easily you're gonna be tricked to blend in with what the world says you should be," so he just began showing me things. My legless diva platform. Just opportunity after opportunity God has brought to me from being who I am today for him, and I often say that the only people who think that I'm legless is those that don't see the glory and those that see the glory know that I'm 10 feet tall. I kick down doors everywhere I go.
Creflo Dollar: You got it going, man. Oh, I am so honored to meet you. I don't think I've ever met anybody like you. I pray today that those of you who have had the honor and the privilege of tuning in to this broadcast, that somehow you can get up and realize that life is not over. It's not over until it's over. You have a mind you can think with, you have other things that you can tap into, but more than that you have a God who cares and a God that can make a way out of any way. If you trust him and if you believe in him his grace is sufficient for you. No matter what the weakness, when you can see yourself in your weakness... Paul said "When I'm weak then am I strong". There is something amazing about it, but sometimes people just don't understand that when you see yourself in a situation that's not normal God makes up for it, and he makes you stronger than you have ever been and stronger than you will ever be in your life. I'm so glad we had this show. I have been impacted. I have been greatly affected by what I've heard today. God's real and if you don't think he's real, voila. He's real. Amen. You know, grace is the unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor of God, and he's willing to show this favor to anyone who trusts him. He loves and accepts us just as we are, even in our darkest hour. When we're hurting he comforts and encourages us and the grace we receive from him strengthens us and enables us to reach out and encourage others. Keisha Green faced the hardest, hardest situation of life's challenges and not by herself. No, but by the understanding of God's grace through faith, and you can, too. Now, to receive all that grace has to offer you must simply believe and receive what Jesus did for each one of us. I want you to watch this, and I'll see you next time right here on "Your World".