Hi, my name is Reggie Showers, I'm the rider of the PDI Dampere Pro Stock Suzuki.
I was 14 years old back in 1978, it was Memorial Day, and I was an avid bike rider, a motorcycle
rider, I had a dirt bike, and this particular day I went out on an old adventure by a train
yard, and just a normal kid that liked to get into a lot of mischief, we had a little dirt
bike track set up by this train yard, and there were some boxcars that were out there, and
this day had some little bit taller boxcars than usual, and I looked at those taller boxcars
as a challenge to climb, I had to get on top of them, but what I really didn't realize
was that over top of those boxcars was an electrical wire that a lot of these trains
use for power, and in that wire was 13,000 volts of electricity going through it, so
when I got on top of that boxcar I got pretty close to that wire, and not even touched it,
didn't even touch it, but just got close to it, and the electricity jumped out and
marked on me, and it knocked me flat, I didn't feel an ounce of pain, and I think that was
just through the goodness of God, this was part of my calling, that he said, Reggie I'm
going to take you and put you in this situation, and I mean because it only takes like 5,800
volts of electricity to kill a man in an electric chair, and here I got 13,000 volts, so God
is great, but I received second and third degree burns on both my arms, and about 30%
of my body, but the most traumatic injury was the amputation of both of my legs below
my knees, and it was really funny because, you know, I was a 14 year old kid, I was very
athletic, and baseball, and basketball, and very active in school, and the doctor told
me he had to amputate both of my legs, I didn't cry, not once, I wasn't scared, I looked
at it as a new adventure for me, and I think that was God, he was right there holding my
hand, he was assuring me, Reggie, he said, I'm going to help you through this, you are
the chosen one, you have a purpose in life, and I really didn't realize my purpose in
life at that time, you know, I was 14 years old of course, but this amputation and the
rehabilitation was a challenge and an adventure for me, and it took, I spent about a month
in a burn center, another month in rehab, learned how to walk, and went right back to
school, so it was a steady progression, and without my firm belief in God, and without
my family support, you know, I think it would have been a much more traumatic experience
for me.
Were you a Christian before the experience?
No, I wasn't a Christian because I didn't know what a Christian was at that time, I
was a junior Christian maybe, I could say, I grew up across the street from a Baptist
church, and learned so many life experiences, life lessons in that church at an early age,
I learned how to cook in that church, I learned how to cut grass in that church, and every
Sunday morning we went to Sunday school, and the deacons and the pastor, they taught us
a lot of lessons that at that time we didn't really realize we were going to use, but I
carried those lessons with me even today, so I would say that no, I was not a Christian
prior to, just because of my youth, but I definitely am after.
It's part of my mission statement, it's really a unique situation that I'm in, God has taken
me, he's made me a disabled young man, and he's also given me a talent, the one to race
a motorcycle at 190 miles per hour, he's given me some pretty good people skills to be able
to talk with people and share my story, basically what I'm trying to say is he's surrounded
me, he's given me the equipment, he's given me the opportunities, he's given me the
blessings, he's given me the love and the confidence to go out and tell his glory and
to share my story about how gracious God is, you know there was a time when I used to flounder
in life, I really didn't know my purpose, and he was just preparing the foundation so
to speak, and now I'm still finding my way as I walk, but it's become so much more clearer
to me, I trust in him, I've given my life over to him, and you know after I've given
God my life, there was such an enormous weight that was lifted off of my shoulders, and for
a while I grew up in the city and I was of this world at a young age, and I always thought
that people who are Christians or people who have turned over their life to God didn't
have fun anymore, oh man you can't do this, you can't do that, I thought that they weren't
going to have fun and I was a little scared to let go of some of the world, but through
the experiences and the blessings that I've been given from God, I turn my life over
to him and I'm not scared anymore, I'm not scared to meet him and just walking on this
earth now is so much more effortless, it's so easy to talk about him and to praise his
glory and to share my story with people, and that's part of my mission statement, Jesus
Christ came into my life at an early age, he gave me the opportunity to come out here
and spread my message, and he's enabled me to praise him in so many ways, he gave me
the opportunities, he's given me the talents that I have to ride a motorcycle, to be able
to go out here and share my story, he's surrounded me with the right people, and the opportunities
are endless at this point to go out and praise him, and it's a really great experience when
I turn my life over to the Lord, it's opened up so many doors for me and it's really such
weight off of my shoulders, I walk so much more easy now, knowing him and loving him
and trusting him is just an incredible awesome thing.
Very interesting experience I've had with Racist for Christ, I was introduced to Racist
for Christ back in 1995 at the Redding race, NHRA race in Redding, Pennsylvania, it was
my very first NHRA race in competition, had no idea whatsoever that they even had a chapel
service, and when I found out about it, I instantly went there Sunday morning and sat
in the front row, I was amazed at the camaraderie, at the family like atmosphere that I experienced,
I didn't know anybody, and you don't have to know anybody when you go to a chapel service,
but I come from a Baptist church where you usually knew everybody in the church, and
you welcome strangers and all, and I was one of the strangers that was welcomed into the
RFC ministry, Pastor Ken Owen, really really great guy, he welcomed me in and the messages
and the lessons that I've learned every Sunday morning of the NHRA races, it helped me in
my everyday walk, I've even had PK as we call it, Pastor Ken, I've had PK come over and
counsel me on everyday life experiences in my trailer, when I'm having problems or there's
tough times, I'll have him come by, and I've supported RFC through my donations and tithes
and just doing anything I can do for them, RFC has made such a difference in my life
even at the racetrack, and I really appreciate the efforts they come and they pray with
me in the stage and lanes as well as they do with all the other racers, and I really,
I feel privileged to be a part of the RFC, and I feel bad for those who aren't, for
the racers who are not a part of RFC, I really feel bad for them, but RFC is a great experience
for me.
My name is Reggie Shower, I'm the rider of the PDI Dampery Pro Stock Suzuki, and I want
to invite you to the RFC Chapel Service this Sunday, hope to see you there because I'll
be there.
