I just learned that Joni has been bedridden for the last year with chronic pain. This is a new and hard development in her last forty-one years as a quadriplegic.Reading Joni's first book back in the seventies was a moving experience. Here was a young girl who dove in for a swim, and broke her neck. A tiny decision that took seconds to execute, and she's paralyzed for life.
God did a work of grace in Joni's heart, and she has since used every opportunity she could obtain to bear witness to His grace. She has a very necessary and effective ministry. She has lived 2 Corinthians 1:3-6, and 12:7-10, for longer than many of my readers have been alive. Hear (or watch) her testimony at a Desiring God conference here, and you will see your challenges in a new light.
Pray for comfort, joy and healing for this dear sister in her affliction.
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10 comments:
The Lord has done beautiful thing with Joni. She is such a rock. But you are right that we should pray for her, pray that God will continue to comfort and sustain her, to give her strength to endure in the midst of the suffering and if it be His will, to heal her.
When I was suffering with the pain from eating gluten, but did not yet know that was the cause, I would sometimes just lean against the wall of the shower and cry. During that time, I wasn't angry with God, my faith did not waver, but the pain was so terrible that it would wear me down. I understand the feeling of helpless frustration-not hopelessness in regard to eternity-helplessness in regard to expectation of physical relief.
The reality is that, if the Lord tarries, we will all experience physical (and other types for that matter) suffering in our lives; faith and daily renewal, daily relying on the Lord to give us the measure of grace we need is what will enable us to endure. Joni is an amazing, beautiful testimony to that. I love that woman and I ache for her.
Thanks for passing this on. Joni and Friends has done some work in the former Soviet Union with our mission giving wheelchairs to physically challenged people there. I'll share it with our daily prayer groups. She truly is an example.
Thanks for sharing this Dan, I didn't know about it and I air her PSAs on our station all the time!
Will be praying.
Dan: Thanks for sharing this...b/c of my own disability, Joni is a personal hero of mine. I first read her books two years ago and its been amazing to see God really work through her in so many ways. I'll be praying she would cling to the verse that she first showed me...that the suffering of this present age is not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us...
I had two thoughts after reading your post and seeing the linked video...
1. I will pray for her soul, that even in suffering that her joy will bemade complete in Christ.
2. I'm ashamed of myself, my selfish sinful attitudes.
Elaina, if you actually are reading the blog, please do feel free to comment on the contents of future posts. Please do not include links to financial sites; particularly since your blog has the feel of a shell at present, and not a genuine blog.
We are praying that Joni will be delivered from pain and find renewed joy in knowing that people are praying for her. We are thankful that she inspired us and hope that she is inspired that others are praying for her.
Somewhere in here they asked me for a user name...and I missed something
and lost the part that was
supposed to read:
Rick & Rose said,
We are praying for Joni...
Viewing a program yesterday where Joni Eareckson Tada requested help for India's victims of leprosy, I once again was touched by the wonderful compassion this beautiful woman has for all the suffering in the world. I went on to read more about her on the web, watched the inspiring video of her singing "Farther Along We'll Know More About It" and have felt blessings from it all. May God lift her up in her afflictions and continue to give her the grace and strength to keep going, healing that which He sees fit to heal in all His Mercy and Goodness. We love you Joni!
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