Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Guest (Female): This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Don't you love receiving a gift that's really creative and unique? Well, Joni and I sure do, and here she is to talk about it.

Joni Eareckson Tada: And you know it well. There's something special about that friend who has put extra thought into a gift, something unusual that most others wouldn't think of. You feel like, somehow, this person thinks you are worth the effort. You don't forget gifts like that. They stick in your mind and heart, don't they? I remember long ago when I was autographing books at a bookstore party. I had arrived early to the store and had parked my wheelchair next to the table. It was stacked with books, and I glanced at the pile and wondered to myself, "I hope people show up."

Well, people did show up. They started trickling into the store, so I gripped the felt-tip pen between my teeth and I began to mouth-sign my name on each title page. I have to do that, being a quadriplegic. A few people wanted me to personalize their books to friends or family members, and I didn't want to decline any requests. I wrote people's names, again holding the pen in my mouth. It made the line move real slowly because I cannot sign my name quickly, let alone the names of other people. The line of people kept getting longer and longer.

After about 30 minutes, I asked everyone in line if it was okay. "Can I just sign my name instead of other people, or else I'm going to be here all afternoon with a cramped jaw?" They were quite happy with that, and I continued writing just J-O-N-I, being ever so grateful my name was not Elizabeth. An hour went by. Sometimes, to give my teeth a break, I paused and asked everybody in line to sing a hymn with me. Even with those breaks, my jaw began to ache. I was getting tired.

That's when, more than three-quarters of the way through, the 75th person, this young guy, stepped up and brashly reached out toward the pen with a, "May I please?" He carefully took it out of my mouth, holding the felt-tip end. Then he took a little bottle of mint-flavored mouth spray out of his pocket, aimed, and squirted the other end of my pen—the part I'd been chewing on. He shook it off, then held it toward me, and I grasped it with my teeth. It tasted so minty and fresh and wonderful. It was the pause that refreshed.

We all laughed at such a fine, unusual gesture, such a wonderful gift. If I remember correctly, the rest of the people even applauded him for his thoughtfulness. I never got his name. I do not know who he was, and I'm sure I'll never see him again, but I have never forgotten that young man. To this day, I still tell his story. He had to do some thinking to come up with such a creative way to encourage me. He had to be observant, realizing that my mouth was getting sore. Standing back in line, he felt that little bottle of mouth spray in his jacket pocket and came up with the idea.

What a special gift. Proverbs 18:16 says that a man's gift opens the door for him. For that guy, it sure did. Although I don't know his name, I've never forgotten him or his kind gesture. Psalm 68:9 says that God gives gifts that refresh His people. So, put your creativity to work and find an unusual way to bring heart-refreshing encouragement to a Christian friend. I guarantee you they will marvel that you think that much of them. What's more, they will never forget the gift and they will never, ever forget you. That's your refreshing word today from your friends here at Joni and Friends.