Many people knew of my husband, Owen C. Salway. Some met him in person; some sat under his teaching or preaching. More read his articles and books. He served in the NCEM Printshop and was a contributing writer and editor of Northern Lights magazine for many years.
What a lot of his readers didn’t know is that Owen suffered his entire adult life with the progression of two types of Muscular Dystrophy, gradually taking away his physical strength due to deteriorating muscles. In his later years, he twice fought a battle with cancer, a heart condition, as well as osteoporosis. The many health problems which afflicted him may have defeated others, but Owen never gave up through all the years.
Owen once wrote, “One thing I have learned is that the Lord can use us in whatever state He chooses for us.” Owen had accepted that God had chosen his path. Through it all, he chose to trust and serve his God.
It is my desire through the pages of this book that Owen’s story would bring encouragement to those who suffer with disabilities, as well as to those who provide care and support to them.
Owen’s is a story of perseverance and of trusting God one day at a time, a story of God’s saturating power when all our strength is gone. When we focus on what we don’t have, or on our circumstances in life that displease us, our minds become darkened. We begin to look for what is wrong and refuse to enjoy life.
This is the story of an ordinary man and servant of God, Owen Salway, my husband and my best friend. It is an account of his struggles, his accomplishments, and God’s amazing grace. (adapted from the Introduction of “Owen: The Biography of Owen Salway”)
