Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Hey, it’s Heart for the Disabled week here at Joni and Friends! Thanks for joining me, Joni Eareckson Tada, as we begin my favorite campaign of the year. This is when I ask you to take a few minutes to write a note of encouragement to special-needs families who attended last summer’s Family Retreats. Many of you have done this before (once again, last year you beat the record; the response was overwhelming) and it has meant the world to these kids with disabilities and their parents who receive, well, Valentine’s cards, letters, notes with scriptures, words of a hymn, inspirational poems, gifts. And today, I’m thinking of Brittany, her husband, Ryan and their three beautiful daughters – Juliette, age 13, Audrey age 11, and Little Brook at 8 years old who is nonverbal and has multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy, developmental delays, a visual impairment (can you believe all this), and seizures. Last year this family came to Family Retreat a little reticent, a little nervous and apprehensive about how they’d be received. Because Brooks seizures are nonstop and, at times, are pretty violent. In fact, they are life-threatening. You see, Brooke takes a medication to control the aggressive seizures, but these medications have a devastating side effect. The drug is damaging Brooke’s vision in both eyes, slowly destroying the retina and causing cataracts. Her parents, Brittany and Ryan, are facing a choice no parent wants to have to make. They either stop the medications that control these seizures or they continue the medications at the risk of causing total blindness for their little daughter. Doctors have tried 15 other seizure medications which have all failed. Emergency hospital visits are routine every week for this family, and the physical and emotional toll it’s taking on everyone is just overwhelming. Yes, Brooks’ older sisters are amazing helpers, but the pressure of having a sibling with a significant disability has really been a burden on these sweet girls – Juliette suffers from migraine headaches, and Audrey struggles with anxiety. Now here’s the thing: Brittany and Ryan and their daughters know nothing about our Heart for the Disabled program, and with a card or note from you, you can assure this young family that you are praying for them, especially for Brooke and her sisters. They just want to know they’re not alone; that God will see them through; that there is hope. And friend, you can offer that hope by sharing some uplifting scriptures, praying, or ask your children or grandkids to crayon a picture for Brooke. Maybe send a gift card to McDonald’s or tuck a favorite inspirational poem in the envelope. Be as creative as you’d like, but please, just let this little family know that you are cheering them on and interceding for them. Send your scriptures, card, note or letter to Ryan and Brittany, and their daughters, Juliette, Audrey and little Brooke with her disabilities. Send it in care of Joni and Friends, P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376. If you miss any details, I’m posting this story on my radio page today at joniradio.org. Oh, and would you please extend hope to this weary family? We need you to send your note in right away to ensure it arrives in their mailbox in time for Valentine’s Day. Again, pray for this family and write your card today and send it to Joni and Friends, where we love serving families like Brittany and Ryan’s in the name of Jesus. Thank you for having a heart of the disabled.

Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada with a remarkable story about choices. We make them every day, don’t we, and often the choices we make completely alter the way we live. Take my friend, Dana, who has cerebral palsy. Dana often posts comments on my blog, and I’m always blessed to hear what she has to say. But what she posted the other day, well, it was pretty powerful. She was responding to something I had written about Isaiah 35, that glorious day when the lame shall leap like deer; paralyzed people will walk. Well, this is what she posted in response. She wrote: "Thank you, Joni for your thoughts on Isaiah 35 and the fact that one day we will walk again! But I want you to know, with my cerebral palsy I chose to use a wheelchair; I chose to do that 27 years ago. People look at me in my wheelchair and think I've been in an accident, but when they learn I was born with cerebral palsy and yet chose the wheelchair, instead of walking, they ask WHY (because in their eyes, I'm giving up). I calmly explain that the pain, physical pain, and energy required for me to walk is just too much, and I'd rather have a life, than spend all my efforts painfully walking. My parents accepted it (after a short adjustment period), even after spending a lot when I was younger on helping me to learn how to walk. I simply chose to use the wheelchair instead of walking (walking takes great difficulty for me). I have come across people that say I did something to offend God, otherwise I'd be walking, and not in a wheelchair. But no, I chose the wheelchair. If God wanted me non-disabled, He would cure me. Maybe I need to be here in this wheelchair, helping other disabled people and trying to glorify God while I do it. Anyway, that’s my take from this old wheelchair of mine!” I love that perspective, because Dana has hit on something pretty important in this blog post. And I understand her point. Yes, to walk is a wonderful thing—I haven’t done it in decades, but I recall very well the joy of running and climbing stairs and hopping and skipping and jumping. But there are more important things in life than standing up and walking. For Dana, the enormous effort, energy and physical pain involved in standing up and just getting her feet to move, even in a stiff, awkward and uncomfortable gait well, she would rather economize her time and effort and head into life sitting down. But Dana and I do agree: One day when Jesus returns, both of us will be more than happy to give up our wheelchairs. We will be more than happy to not have to choose anything other than to stand up on grateful, glorified legs and “leap like deer” just as Isaiah chapter 35 describes and with all that leaping and celebrating, we will be worshipping our wonderful Savior and thanking Him for the amazing grace He gave in not only rescuing Dana and me and you from our sins, but the wonderful grace of Jesus that sustained us and bolstered our spirits all those many years in our wheelchairs. And Dana and I can’t wait. So what’s a little ‘sitting down’ going to do to us? Push us into depression because we can’t walk or run while here on earth? No way! Every day we will wake up in the morning leaning hard on Jesus Christ for that wonderful grace of His. Grace that enables us to choose to smile, whether it’s Dana choosing a wheelchair rather than a stiff, painful gait or me choosing to yield and submit to God, even though I don’t have the option of standing up like Dana. And friend, if you are struggling today, let the vision of Isaiah 35 bolster your spirits, too. And get ready to one day leap like a deer.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a hymn that comforts me so much… Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand, The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land; A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way, From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day. I love singing this hymn because it reminds me that the safest, most secure, most peaceful, wonderful place you could ever rest your soul, is at the foot of the cross. A place where you let go of yourself and your fears and desires and anxieties, and you cling to the feet of Jesus, your only help and hope. When you are resting beneath the shadow of the cross, you are not only quick to confess sin, and ready to acknowledge weakness; you are confident that the devil can’t reach you (he hates anything to do with the cross of Christ), and because of that, you can be confident that you have the protection and provision of God. I thought about this the other day when I read this true account written by E. M. Bounds. He says, “I’m a huntsman and I rose early one morning and heard the barking of a number of dogs chasing deer. Looking at a large open field I saw a young fawn coming toward me, making its way across the field, its race almost run. It leaped over the rails of our enclosed place and crouched within ten feet of where I stood. A moment later, two of the hounds came over the rails and the fawn ran in my direction and pushed its head between my legs. I lifted the little thing to my breast and, swinging round and round, fought off the dogs. It was a fierce battle, but just then I felt that all the dogs in the West could not and would not capture that fawn after its weakness had appealed to my strength. So it is when human helplessness appeals to Almighty God.” I hope you see yourself in this story, because I sure do. Like you, I’m just like that fawn. I’m running, I am racing to Jesus— “oh, please help me. The world, the flesh and the devil are after me and I so what you to lift me into your arms and protect me.” What am I doing when I say that? In my weakness, I am appealing to God’s strength. And you better know, that God’s on it in an instant. When I am in the arms of Christ, when I am safe in the shadow of His cross, all the hounds of the adversary cannot touch me, reach me or capture me… all Satan’s minions and lesser demons cannot even draw near when I cower at the cross – because in my weakness I have appealed to God’s strength. Join me today, would you, at the foot of the cross, for it’s at that humbling place; the place where he is everything and I am nothing —that we find all the protection, all the safety, all the peace, all the rest and all provision you will ever need for your soul.

Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends. It’ll be Epiphany Sunday this weekend and it always makes me think of the Reformed Episcopal Church I grew up in. There they preached the gospel, read the liturgy, sang hymns from the heart and they kneeled in prayer. Worship was a serious thing, and I learned as a child what it meant to bend my knees before the Lord. Now, I’m not making a big thing of kneeling in prayer, it’s just that I sure wish I could do it. Being paralyzed in a wheelchair, it’s impossible to literally bend my knees and bow in prayer. But I remember not long ago, I was at a banquet at a big conference and I was sitting, along with everyone else in this huge banquet room. At the close of the message, the speaker asked everyone to do something unusual. He asked us to push our chairs away from our tables and, if we feel comfortable in doing so, get out of your chair and kneel on the carpeted floor in prayer. Well, I sat there in my wheelchair and I watched as everyone else in the room – there had to be maybe 500 or 600 people—all of them got out of their chairs and they got down on their knees for a brief time of worship. With everyone kneeling in the banquet room, I sat there kind of standing out. I looked around and I was sticking up, way up, the only one sitting there in this huge room. And looking around, I could not stop the tears. Oh, and I was not crying out of pity. I mean I wasn’t crying because I felt strange or different that I was the only one sitting. No, my eyes were wet because it was so beautiful to see everyone kneeling in prayer. And it made me think of the day when I, too, will be able to get up out of this wheelchair on new resurrected legs. I can’t wait for that day because when I get my glorified body, the first thing I’m going to do with my resurrected legs is to fall down on grateful, glorified knees. I will once again have the chance to say with Psalm 95:6, “Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” You know, I realize that in heaven I’ll have the chance then to jump and dance and walk and run. It will be my privilege, a new body that can move will be a blessing for a job well done on earth, but I think that kneeling very still on bended knees, glorified knees. I think when I get to heaven that’ll be my sacrifice of praise. To not move, when I will be able to move, will be my one last chance to show the Lord how thankful I really am. Today would you flip to Psalm 95:6 read it aloud and then do what it says? Kneel before the Lord God your Maker and be grateful, would you, for your knees that bend. I hope you’ve been inspired and refreshed by our time together today. I just want you to know that I treasure these few minutes we have together. And I’d like to hear from you, I’d like to hear your story. Write me today, would you, at PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376. Or you can always visit Joni’s Corner at joniandfriends.org.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and hurray, it’s Tuesday! The week has just begun and with it the start of the New Year! Oh, my goodness! Does that sound like the beginning of an adventure, or what? For me it’s kind of like, roll up your sleeves, rub your hands together, and let’s get going into this New Year. Now what I like about 2019 is that, so far, (we’re just one day into it, okay) it is unscathed, untouched, and it’s to be explored. It kind of reminds me of that passage in Isaiah 43 that says, “I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a path right through the sea. I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses to lie beneath the waves. But forget that [God says], it is nothing compared to what I’m going to do, for I am going to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun. I will make a road through the wilderness of the world for my people to go home.” Is that a great verse, or what? I sure do like the idea of God’s people going home. Do you think it could happen, even in 2019? Well, whatever happens, it’s going to be a brand new thing. God promises. It is a great attitude to have as we start off the New Year. I mean, think of it: was last year, 2018, a year of special memories for you? Was this past year one that lifted you to new spiritual heights? Do you look back on a couple of warm sweet moments and wonder if you will ever experience that kind of joy again this year? Well, although each of these 2018 memories may be special, please remember, God wants to do a new thing with you. Because the Lord always wants to take us to new heights. I have an idea that His plans for you for this year may even outshine the past. He’s preparing surprises; He’s getting ready to fill your days with good reasons to give Him praise. Friend, this is why you can begin 2019 with an “Isaiah 43” attitude. Don’t expect the Lord to do the same thing in exactly the same way He did this past year. Don’t ask God for something He’s already done. God never does encores, so expect something fresh. Look for something new. This year could really take you by surprise. So if you don’t, mind on this first day of the year, let’s join our hearts together and spend a moment praying, so together, let’s pray, “Lord Jesus, we stretch our faith right now and together we want to believe You for something far greater than what happened last year. We want to believe you for more souls saved within our network of friends and family, because we trust that You are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to Your power that is at work within us. Thank you for that promise of Isaiah 43, which tells us to forget the former things, the old things, and not to dwell on this past year. We want to look forward to the new things you are going to do; to the new ways you are going to express yourself. To the new insights you will give us in your Word; to new depths of prayer; to new relationships and friendships. We pray for peace in our troubled world, especially for peace in the Middle East. We pray for those who need to know Jesus… we pray for those who are sick or injured… we lift up our families and we pray for our country. Oh, my goodness, yes we do, oh Lord, we trust in you. It’s a big year but we hold onto Your hand, Lord God because you are a big God, so we pray: lead the way!”

Joni shares how Becky learned that if God calls her to something, he will help her through it.

Joni invites Ken to share from his prayer journal.

Joni shares how Beverly was able to use her own experience and creativity to encourage families with disability in Romania.

Joni shares that detours, interruptions, and unmet expectations are God’s way of teaching contentment.

Joni shares that although her feet don’t walk, God has taken her many places to share the Gospel of peace.