Your troubles are momentary and very soon hardships will be behind you. Earth may have your attention now, but this too shall pass.
It all happened on a recent Wheels for the World trip.
Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and you'll often hear me talk about things that happen to me on a Wheels for the World trip – that’s where we distribute Bibles and wheelchairs to needy disabled people overseas. In fact, we have a Wheels for the World team in Romania doing that right now.
Well, I was on a Wheels for the World trip to Africa, and I was in a small village in Ghana. I was talking to a woman who had brought her son to be fitted for a wheelchair. Her son had a severe disability, and he was being fitted to one of our pediatric wheelchairs. Anyway, this woman [she was a Christian], she said – I could tell, she had a very humble, gentle spirit – she was wearing brightly colored tribal clothes with a turban-like headdress in the same fabric. Although I guessed she was younger than me, her hands – oh my goodness – they were old looking, weathered and lined. I could tell even from the lines in her face that she worked very hard. This woman shared her testimony in Christ, and so afterward while her child was still being fitted, I asked her what her favorite Bible verse was. A knowing smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up. And without hesitation, she replied, “And it came to pass.” I gave her a puzzled look. And she added, “Joni everywhere you look in the Bible, there it is in Isaiah, in the Psalms. ‘And it came to pass’ is my favorite verse.”
It was a familiar phrase from God's Word, but I had never heard anyone claim it as their favorite Bible verse so I asked her to explain. “Joni [she said with a sigh], it is a hard life we live in our country. The weather is harsh and our crops sometimes fail. It’s at those times we do not know where the next meal is coming from. We have no money, nothing to offer our children. But we have God!” she said in a hearty voice. “And we know he will take care of us. We can look at the misery around us and know that God will see us through. And then we can smile and say, ‘And it came to pass.’”
Wow, I was blown away with that insight. I had never thought of that verse in that context before. And I sat there for a long moment, marveling at her simple wisdom. “And it came to pass” reminds me of 1 Peter 5, where it says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you.” Now, I don’t face drought and failing crops, but I am a quadriplegic – my hands and legs don't work, and it’s why I appreciate the words, “After you have suffered for a little while.” Oh friend, our troubles – and believe it or not, the troubles of that African tribal woman and her disabled son – her troubles, too, are but momentary, and very soon hardships will be behind us. And oh, friend, can you even begin to imagine the joy and the reward, the thrilling time when it's all behind us –no more tears, no more sorrow, pain or death! I cannot wait. Earth may have our attention now, but even this too shall pass. You know what, friend thanks so much for letting me share my heart with you today. And feel free to share this program with your friends. If you ever feel so led by the Lord to join us on a Wheels for the World team, oh friend, we would so appreciate you signing up and traveling with us to oh Brazil, or Thailand, or Peru, or Poland, China, Cuba, you name it. Especially if you have a skillset that qualifies you to do physical therapy on the field with us. Or if you’re just a mechanic who’s pretty good with a hacksaw, and a wrench, and a screwdriver. So, look for more information on our radio page about Wheels for the World.
© Joni and Friends