Sometimes life feels like one step forward and two steps backwards. You make progress. You heal. You dare to hope again. And then—something unexpected knocks you sideways. In those moments, it can feel like all your hard work has been erased.
But what if it hasn’t?
What if the steps back are not proof of failure but evidence of courage?
My Bridges guest, Sheila Fitzgerald Preston, knows what it means to rebuild a life that changed in an instant. After a near-fatal motorcycle accident, Sheila became a double amputee. One ordinary day turned into a fight for survival. The road she had known disappeared, and a new, unchosen path lay ahead.
There are setbacks—and then there are seismic shifts.
Sheila’s Recovery Wasn’t Linear
For Sheila, recovery wasn’t linear. It wasn’t neat. It wasn’t inspirational every single day. It was painful. Frustrating. Exhausting. Learning how to live again required more than physical healing; it demanded emotional and spiritual resilience. There were days of incredible victories—first steps with prosthetics, new milestones, renewed independence. And there were days when progress felt painfully slow, when the weight of “two steps back” pressed hard against her spirit.
But here is what Sheila’s story reminds us: going backward is sometimes part of moving forward.
When life knocks you down, getting back up rarely happens in a straight line. Healing doesn’t follow a calendar. Growth doesn’t arrive on demand. The setback doesn’t cancel the breakthrough.
One of the beautiful parts of Sheila’s journey is her service dog, Ivy. Ivy is more than assistance – she is companionship, stability, and daily reminder that support shows up in unexpected forms. Ivy represents something we all need when life feels unsteady: faithful presence.
We Need Ivy Moments
In seasons of “two steps back,” we need Ivy moments. We need reminders that we are not alone. We need tangible proof that even when we feel fragile, strength is still being built.
The truth is that resilience is forged in the tension between progress and setbacks. It is easy to celebrate the forward motion. It is harder—but more transformative—to keep going when momentum stalls.
Her Life is Defined by what She Continues to Build
Sheila’s life today is not defined by what she lost. It is defined by what she continues to build. Her courage is not loud or flashy. It is steady. Persistent. Quietly powerful. And that kind of strength is born in the space where setbacks meet determination.
If you are in a season where it feels like you cannot gain ground—take heart. The step back may be strengthening muscles you didn’t know you would need. It may be teaching patience, endurance, or compassion. It may be preparing you for terrain you cannot yet see.
Forward progress is not always visible. Sometimes it is internal. Sometimes it is spiritual. Sometimes it looks like refusing to quit.
One step forward. Two steps back. And still—you rise. That is not failure.
That is faith.
Today’s Secret from the Studio: Sometimes going backward is a necessary part of moving forward.
—Monica Schmelter hosts the weekly Bridges shows on Christian Television. Bridges airs in over 50 million homes and is also on the CTN APP, ROKU and other streaming platforms. You can also watch Bridges on demand at bridgeswithmonica.com Monica and her husband have one adult son and recently welcome a daughter in-love into their family
