Last September Tara Reed was enjoying an ordinary day on the race. Her squad was staying at a hostel in Bucharest, Romania and on their way to Turkey. She had team activites in the morning, shopping with a friend in the afternoon and a mid-afternoon discussion with one of the guys about how she was asking God for three things. In their conversation she shared about her prayers for God to show her how to fear, trust and listen to His voice. Later that evening she got back to the hostel to find most of her teammates exhausted and sleeping. She wasn’t tired so she decided to go out to the balcony for some quiet time with the Lord.
Her simpple decision to get away and spend some time alone in prayer was one that she had made hundreds of times, but in a matter of seconds Tara Reed’s life would be changed forever.
While worshipping she sat on the edge of a balcony. A few momeents later she lost her balance, which sent her petite body
falling three stories to the cement ground. As she waited 25 minutes for the ambulance to come, her pain became unbearable and she struggled to breathe. The internal bleeding made her body feel as if it were caving in, and she immediately came to the realization that she may never walk again.
falling three stories to the cement ground. As she waited 25 minutes for the ambulance to come, her pain became unbearable and she struggled to breathe. The internal bleeding made her body feel as if it were caving in, and she immediately came to the realization that she may never walk again.As Tara was raced to the hospital, she lay in the back of the ambulance crying out to God, pleading with him to allow her to walk again. As the pain intensified she made a conscious decision to focus on the Lord rather than her broken body. Her favorite scripture, Psalm 18 came to mind. “The Lord is my rock and my God.” Somehow through that scripture, she knew the Lord was there.
By the time the doctors stabilized her, Tara, through horrible pain was able to minister to an ER nurse who was part of the team that received her. A few moments later she was wheeled into a public room where her screaming neighbor was getting his broken arm re-set. Tara sang him a Christian Gypsy song that soothed the horrified man so much that he fell asleep and started snoring. This trend of ministering out of the hardest and weakest time of her life continued as she underwent four weeks of intense physical therapy for her broken pelvis.
Tara’s mother flew in almost immediately to sit at her daughter’s side as she endured some of the most physically exhausting days of her life. “Every day the body of Christ responded,” 
Tara recalls, as she recounted the events of that month. Romanians from every walk of life would hear about her story and take action. She was visited and provided for on a daily basis with people bringing much needed food, gifts and tons of prayers.
Tara recalls, as she recounted the events of that month. Romanians from every walk of life would hear about her story and take action. She was visited and provided for on a daily basis with people bringing much needed food, gifts and tons of prayers.Tara’s missional journey has continued now that she is back in Arizona and re-learning how to walk. She is speaking about her walk of faith through this accident and with passion she is encouraging the body of Christ to continue to respond to needs like she saw her Romanian community do for her.
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THrough this she has also been introduced to our Sovereign God in a brand new way. Her only way to get from morning to night has been to fear, trust and listen to God’s voice, which just so happens to be the exact things that she prayed for only 
hours before she fell. “Several people have told me that God wouldn’t let me fall off of a building. But when I look at the disciples’ lives, I know they weren’t cushy.” Through choked up tears she went on, “Psalm 32 says that he will take me down the best pathway, and I believe that. God’s Glory is being shown through this and it all points to Him.” Tara is steadfast in her faith that is constantly being tested.
hours before she fell. “Several people have told me that God wouldn’t let me fall off of a building. But when I look at the disciples’ lives, I know they weren’t cushy.” Through choked up tears she went on, “Psalm 32 says that he will take me down the best pathway, and I believe that. God’s Glory is being shown through this and it all points to Him.” Tara is steadfast in her faith that is constantly being tested.As Tara focuses on healing she is waiting for God to give her the next direction for her life. For the time being, she is ministering right where she is and the Lord is continually bringing people to her doorstep. As you read her blogs that speak about this journey first hand, your eyes become unveiled to the reality of Grace, Turth and Abundant Love. Please visit her site, tarareed.theworldrace.org and let her know how much her story means to you.
