I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and, hey, we’re celebrating Heart for the Disabled!
Thank you, all you who are sending in notes of encouragement, hymns, poems and scriptures for special needs families I’m mentioning this week. You listeners: you’re making this a celebration! And if you haven’t written your card, then by all means, please do so today for Sara.
Sara is a beautiful young adult who was born missing a bone in her forearms, so her forearms are misshapen. Her fingers were also fused together. Years ago, Sara’s disability proved to be too much for her 18-year-old birthmother and so, Sara was placed into foster care. How did Lois, her foster parent, find out about this little one who, for her, had gone through so much? She received a phone call from social services, asking her to take in this “deformed baby who had been physically abused.” Lois went to the hospital, not knowing what she would see when she peered into the crib. When she laid eyes on Sara, she had this feeling that this child was not just any baby; Sara was her beautiful baby, the one that God had been preparing her for. So Lois took Sara home, and she and her husband, Larry, adopted her. It’s a good thing, because when she was two years old, Sara’s legs had to be amputated and surgery was done to separate her fingers.
Sara, as I said, is now a beautiful young adult and I'll never forget when I met her at Family Retreat last year. She wheeled up on stage at Talent Night and — oh my goodness — was this the voice of Laura Story? Amy Grant? Her voice was beautiful. Everyone was so quiet, so mesmerized by this young woman in her wheelchair with no legs. Afterward, when I asked Sara about her gift of music, she said, “Singing makes everything worth it. When you have a purpose that collides with your destiny, it’s powerful. When I sing, I feel as though I have value and that I am also encouraging others. My focus was no longer introspective but outward — and that is always much healthier.”
Life for Sara has been a wrestling match. She still has thoughts of “I'm not good enough.” She lives by herself, and there are times when she can’t leave the house because her scooter might not be working, or times when she can’t get her prosthetics on. Her life is a series of conscious decisions. Is she going to trust God, or will she focus on the physical and emotional problems, the disability, the financial struggles, the past abuse and all the rest? Day by day, Sara is learning to place her confidence in God and God alone.
As you would guess, this young adult could use some encouragement. Think of the challenges she faces each day. No wonder Sara often feels so tired and weary. But you, friend, can make a big difference in her life — it would bolster her spirits so much to know that there are Christians like you who care, who are praying — people who are cheering her on. So may I ask you to write a note of encouragement to Sara today? Again, her name is spelled S-A-R-A.
Send maybe a Bible verse or two, or the words to one of your favorite poems. Or just assure her you’ll be remembering her in your prayers. Send your note to Sara in care of Joni and Friends, P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376.If you missed any details, just visit my radio page today at joniandfriends.org. But please write your letter today so that it arrives in time for Valentine's Day. God bless you for having a heart for the disabled. So get out your pen and pad of paper and jot a note or send a card of encouragement to Sara!
© Joni and Friends, 2013
Compliments of Joni and Friends
PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376