Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Shaana: This is Shaana on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. I know you’re going to love hearing Joni share this touching story from China.

Joni Eareckson Tada: Our Wheels for the World teams have been delivering wheelchairs and Bibles in China for decades now. In this huge country of one billion where over 100,000 face life with a disability, take the story of Mr. Wang. He’s had congenital ankylosing spondylitis since he was a boy. That is a convoluted syndrome, but basically, it causes the bones and joints of his legs to gradually become fused and his spine to become rigid.

His mother was his sole caregiver until she died when Mr. Wang was a young adult. Thankfully, his sister was able to take him in, but then she too passed away. At that point, loneliness began to overwhelm Mr. Wang. Scraping by on a small government stipend was hardly enough to survive in his small flat on the edge of town. He was desperately poor, but his greatest poverty was his loneliness. With no family, no help, and just a few neighbors who took pity on him, Mr. Wang felt like an outcast. Even with crutches, it was so hard to get around. He struggled against despair. “If only I weren’t disabled,” he thought. “Then I could survive.”

But then, a local church who heard of his plight told our Wheels for the World team when they came to his little town. When he learned that he might be able to receive a wheelchair—one that really fit him, one that worked—a glimmer of hope flickered. It was beyond his wildest dreams. The Wheels for the World team actually came to his home and right away began measuring his legs and then spent time fitting a wheelchair to accommodate his unbending spine and legs.

Through their efforts and a translator, he experienced tenderness, compassion, and kindness, and his loneliness and despair began to ease. Within a few hours, he was fitted with a brand-new wheelchair, and he was thrilled, especially when he was able to go outside in the sun for the first time in many years. Our therapist gave him a big hug and introduced him to the volunteers from the local church who told him about Jesus. Mr. Wang learned that he was not alone. He learned that God cared and that other Christians did, too. His heart was warmed, and he received Christ as Savior.

And now, three years later, several Christian women from the church regularly visit Mr. Wang in his small apartment. They clean his little kitchen and take care of all his laundry. Their love and care encourages Mr. Wang to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. Although he is still unable to make the trip to church, he opens his little apartment for worship services. Recently, when Joni and Friends did a follow-up visit, we were welcomed by his big smile. When we asked him about his favorite scripture, he referred to James and the importance of controlling the tongue. For no longer is this man embittered, no longer is he complaining about his lot in life. His tongue is no longer saying, “Woe is me.” Rather, his tongue is filled with praise to God. He is no longer alone.

Shaana: Listening friend, we hope you’ll remember Mr. Wang in your prayers. To inspire you, go to our radio page today at joniradio.org and see a photo of this remarkable man reading and studying his big black Bible. While you’re there, ask for your gift. It’s called Bible Promises. Like Mr. Wang will tell you, God promises to never leave you and never forsake you. Remember, with Christ, you’re never alone and there’s always hope. God bless you, friend.