Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to “Joni and Friends”.
And, as you know, all week long I’ve been sharing special poems which have blessed my heart, but today I have something pretty unusual for you. Because, at the age of 25, just two months after her first child was born, Pann Baltz had a stroke which took her away from her son and husband for nearly six weeks in the hospital. After an extensive time of rehabilitation, she came home with courage to trust in the Lord and begin a new life, but that life was not without significant physical losses because over the years Pann suffered nine strokes, open heart surgery, brain surgery, four foot surgeries, a hysterectomy, three tracheotomies, five jaw surgeries, four hip surgeries, four eye surgeries, and she has had 10 pacemaker implants and correction surgeries. Oh, my goodness! My friend Pann is sitting in her wheelchair right now with a beautiful smile.
JONI: Pann, welcome to the studio today.
PANN: Thank you, Joni. It’s great to be here.
JONI: And on this final day of a week of poems she has a special story to tell and a poem to share.
PANN: During my time with all my strokes, Amy Carmichael, who was a missionary in India to young children and bedridden for much of that time, wrote devotionals which I read every day and they inspired me. And one of the poems that she wrote was called “A Braver Song to Sing” and I’d like to share it with you today.
“Thy servant, Lord, hath nothing in the house.
Not even one small pot of common oil.
For he who never cometh but to spoil,
Hath raided my poor house again, again,
That ruthless strong man armed, whom men call Pain.
I thought that I had courage in the house
And patience to be quiet and endure
And sometimes happy songs, now I am sure
Thy servant truly hath not anything,
And see, my songbird hath a broken wing.
My servant, I have come into the house –
I who know Pain’s extremity so well;
That there can never be the need to tell
His power to make the flesh and spirit quail.
Have I not felt the scourge, the thorn, the nail?
And I, his Conqueror, am in the house.
Let not your heart be troubled, do not fear.
Why shouldst thou, child of Mine, if I am here?
My touch will heal thy songbird’s broken wing,
And he shall have a braver song to sing.”
JONI: Well, Pann that touches my heart tremendously today as I know it does our listeners. I just wish our friends listening could see your sweet smile and the bright light in your eyes sitting in this wheelchair. And the poem that you just shared is called “A Braver Song to Sing” by Amy Carmichael and I know that I’m going to copy this one out, tape it to my desk and look at it often and not only read those inspiring words from Amy Carmichael, but they will be a sweet and pleasant reminder of our visit today. Pann, thank you for sharing that poem. Friends listening, if you would like to download it, go to my radio page today at joniandfriends.org and I’ve posted there a photo there of me and this wonderful woman, Pann Baltz that you just got to see. Pann, thank you for joining us.
PANN: Thank you. It’s been a wonderful privilege.
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