Tune in to hear an interview between Joni and her husband Ken as they reflect on their wedding anniversary. Hear how spiritual gifts can help shape a successful marriage for many years to come.
JONI: Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and today’s my wedding anniversary. And Ken Tada, it’s your wedding anniversary too!
KEN: It’s my wedding anniversary too, Joni.
JONI: Well we love this date because it is a time that, oh, my goodness, I reflect on all the many wonderful things I love doing with you: I love traveling with you; I love worshiping with you; and I love singing with you. Every time we leave work, right? We always take the ramp from the second floor down to the first, winding around the chapel and we always love to sing, but today I’m singing, “Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage, they go together like a horse and carriage, this I tell you, brother, you can’t have one without the other.”
That’s not bad!
KEN: Ahh, I don’t think we will break any records, but you know it was kinda fun to do, especially with you and I. And you know the other thing it reminds me of? Home is where you are, Joni.
JONI: Which means home is often just singing down the ramp, isn’t it?
KEN: Absolutely!
JONI: Or singing up the ramp or singing in the car. You know, Ken, I don’t know how it’s happened, but these many years of marriage, even though I’ve got this tough disability and even though I deal with chronic pain daily, you are unflappable. Your attitude is so levelheaded. You are so positive. You are my strongest advocate; my best champion. But you know, you don’t just watch me just go through the painful issues; it affects you, doesn’t it?
KEN: Oh, absolutely. In fact, when you were saying all of that I take no credit. It’s Jesus. It’s Jesus in my life. I mean, if it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t be able to do all the things that you just described, nor would I be able to make it through life without him.
JONI: Man, you remind me so much of what the apostle Paul said in the first chapter of Philippians. He’s assuring his friends from prison, and he is saying “I want to assure you that this has really happened to advance the gospel.” And it’s true for you and me. This disability has happened to advance the love of Christ not only in our lives together as a couple, as a married couple, but my disability has served to advance the gospel through us in other ways as we travel, right?
KEN: Oh, absolutely, Joni. And you know what is so exciting on this journey of life that God has given us a purpose and the purpose is to share Jesus with other people.
JONI: And you do it so well – you do it to hotel maids; I watch you give gospel tracts to busboys, to restaurant maître d’s. Ken, what are the keys to success would you say?
KEN: Well, I think in Romans it talks about our spiritual gifts and I really feel that I’ve been given a gift of being able to discern that my gift is encouragement. And so, I look for every opportunity during the course of the day to encourage others and I think that that is what God would have me to do with my life.
JONI: Okay. I’m going to prove it right now. Last night [okay you usually get up in the middle of the night to turn me] it was 4 am and the first words out of your mouth as you woke me up to turn me were, “You’ve been sleeping so good, Joni. I’m so happy you’ve been sleeping great.” I mean at 4 am I’m crying tears of joy. You are the one who got up to turn me, and you do it every single night. Friend listening, I know this might sound a little like Pollyanna but it’s not. Jesus has given us that stability; Jesus has given us the peace and the joy, right?
KEN: Oh, absolutely!
JONI: Oh, Ken, I just love you so much and I love our fun traditions; the things we do to celebrate our wedding anniversary, like ordering crab cakes from my favorite Maryland restaurant.
KEN: It’s so true, Joni, I love that tradition that we have, and I love those crab cakes.
JONI: Yup, and friend listening you can cook up your own crab cakes using my mother’s recipe. So, either download or ask for the recipe today at joniradio.org. Sweetheart, Happy Anniversary!
KEN: Happy Anniversary, Joni. I love you!
JONI: Love you too, Ken, and I can’t wait to do this coming year together.