Joni: Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a follow-up on yesterday’s story. That’s right; yesterday I shared with you the story of Doug Mazza, our President and Chief Operating Officer here at “Joni and Friends.” But you know what? I thought you should hear from the man himself. Welcome, Mr. Mazza, to the microphone. So glad that you are here and I’m so excited for my friends who are listening to hear your story firsthand. It all begins with Ryan, doesn’t it?
Doug: It does indeed. Ryan Mazza has been the inspiration for my life. A young man born with horrendous disabilities endured nearly 13 brain and skull surgeries his first three years of life and finally went into a long-term coma. And there was a time when I asked God: ‘Please Lord, show me what purpose this young man can have.’ In my corporate world at the time, I could not see the purpose in God’s sovereignty for a young man with such disabilities and I asked Him to save my son. I asked Him to save Ryan and He saved me! And I asked Him to show me the purpose for Ryan’s life and he showed me the purpose for mine, which is why we are here together.
Joni: Wow! There was a change point, wasn’t there, when you were trying to fix Ryan, you were trying to solve his problems, find the next doctor who might perform the best surgery and that didn’t happen.
Doug: Like a lot of men, I was trained to be charge—that’s what society taught me. It has taken a long time to find out that God is really in charge of everything, and it was a great moment when that weight was lifted off my shoulders and a relationship with Jesus Christ let me know that there is a God in charge and that I’m here to serve Him and my son. And that really changed our relationship and my outlook on Him.
Joni: Well, I love it when friends come to visit the “Joni and Friends International Disability Center.” They walk into the lobby, they see this beautiful chapel right in the center literally floating on top of a beautiful water feature and there is a ramp that winds around the chapel up to the second floor and the ramp has a special name.
Doug: Well, it’s called Ryan’s Run, thanks to you very, very much. And Ryan Mazza, when we dedicated the building, was the first one in his wheelchair to go up the ramp from the first floor to the second floor. It’s a beautiful glass-lined ramp that wraps around the chapel from the first floor to the second floor, and I’m so honored that it’s called Ryan’s Run. And you have always told me, with a smile on your face, that, “I understand nothing will ever be named after you, Doug, because I would never have met you if it wasn’t for Ryan,” and that’s really true. He led me here. God used him to lead me here and he has great purpose in my life.
Joni: And we often say when we go on a “Wheels for the World” trip or start a new Family Retreat in some developing nation Ryan’s leading the way.
Doug: That is true!
Joni: Now, I often hear you quote Romans 8:28, how God fits all things together into this incredible pattern for good. What good have you seen come of your son’s disabilities? He’s 38 years old now; he’s outliving doctors’ predictions; he still is as disabled as when he was a young boy, in fact perhaps more so. How has all this fit into a pattern for good?
Doug: As a new Christian, I was urged to give my testimony and how Ryan instructed my life and when I did, six men came forward and prayed to receive Christ and I was floored. That was nearly 20 years ago and I realized that this little boy had that kind of power and that God would use my body in his life and use us as a team in order to evangelize people for Christ.
Joni: Friend, take a look at the short video that we posted showing Doug at his best. Just go right now to my radio page at joniandfriends.org and check it out. Doug, thank you so much for joining us!
Doug: What a pleasure.
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