Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a story that’ll warm your heart!
Steve is a young man with significant disabilities who has been coming to our Family Retreat in North Carolina almost since it began decades ago. His parents, Jim and Ranell, love the way everyone reaches out to Steve, but sometimes, when a family like theirs attends Retreat for a long, long time, you wonder if there really is anything new God will show that family. Well, it happened last summer for Steve.
It started when Ranell approached our Family Retreat director and asked if there was any way we could involve Steve more at Retreat. So we assigned him a second volunteer (we call them Short Term Missionaries) to Steve so that he could get more engaged in the activities on campus. Slowly, Steve started to come out of his shell. Then, our Retreat director asked if he would please say the prayer at one of the meals, and from then on out Steve’s volunteers worked with him for hours until Steve was able to type “Thank you, God” into his electronic communication device. (Jim and Ranell called it his ‘talking box’). At one of the last dinner times at Family Retreat, everybody in the room waited excitedly as Steve and his two volunteers came up to the front. They placed the microphone next to Steve’s talk box, he pressed the button, and booming over the loudspeaker came those precious words “Thank you, God!” Before anyone had lifted a knife or fork, the whole room erupted into applause. Jim and Ranell were in tears, just to see their son be up front and take responsibility for leading all the families in a very simple blessing over their food.
But that wasn’t all. At the talent show that night, Steve walked up front with his two volunteers. Jim and Ranell were astonished! After all their many years of attending Family Retreats, this was the first time Steve ever wanted to participate in the talent show. The room went quiet as Steve seemed to hesitate for a moment. ‘What was he about to do?’ everyone wondered. Then, he slowly leaned over and pushed the button on his talk box. Suddenly, booming over the loudspeakers, everyone could hear “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind but now I see.” Steve and his volunteers had carefully recorded Steve’s favorite hymn on his electronic device. This time it wasn’t just Ranell who was crying; there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Everyone was a witness to God's power on display through the incredible weakness of Steve’s disability, and the unconventional, yet timeless beauty of a new song sung to the Lord. Needless to say, the Facebook post flooded the internet and Jim and Ranell have heard from scores of other special-needs families who’ve been blessed by Steve and his talk box.
We think a person has maxed his potential and then, what do you know, that person has a new song to sing. Like Steve and his electronic rendition of Amazing Grace. And friend, you can help a disabled person like Steve. You can help his parents. And to get you started, I want to send to you today a special gift; it’s a booklet called “We’ve Got This, Providing Respite for Families Affected by Disability”.You and your church can give people like Jim and Ranell a little temporary relief from the day-to-day disability challenges. Our booklet is full of ideas, so get your copy today. Just visit joniandfriends.org/radio. And while you are there, check out a great photo we have posted of Steve.
© Joni and Friends