Today, look for where there’s a weakness or a need, Right there is an opportunity for you to make God shine.
Share this program with a friend or family member at www.joniradio.org!
SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. I know you’re going to love this story from Joni about the love she has for her sister.
JONI: Just recently I had a chance to FaceTime with my sister JK, and even though we live on opposite ends of the country, it was so wonderful to see her smile and hear her voice right there on my screen on my iPhone. I miss her so, especially now that we are getting older, and I do not have the chance to visit our farm in Maryland like I used to. Besides catching up on family news, Jay and I spent our FaceTime mainly sharing memories. Good memories. The kind that when you reflect on them, you feel stronger, you feel happier, more grateful to God for family.
So, I thought I would recount for you one of those special memories. You see, after my diving accident in which I broke my neck and became paralyzed; after my long hospitalization and rehab, I went to live with my sister Jay on the farm. She did everything to make me feel welcomed, like I still fit there in the farmhouse, even though my clunky wheelchair was wider than her hallways. She smoothed over those rough spots and went the extra effort to make me, a new quadriplegic, still feel like a part of things. It’s one reason why I loved helping her make dinner. Now that sounds strange saying because I couldn’t use my hands; I could not open the refrigerator; I can’t hold a mixer or reach for a saucepan. Besides, Jay’s kitchen was so narrow – like a kitchen galley with not much room – so small, I couldn’t even get my wheelchair near the stove. But Jay made every effort to draw me close and include me. She would walk over to me, whipping a bowl of mashed potatoes that were resting on her hip, and she’d tilt it my way and say, "Think these are creamy enough, Joni?” She let me taste them and then ask, “Should I add more milk? What do you think?"
Now, I knew Jay didn't need my advice. My sisters and I all knew that besides mother, that she was the best cook in the family. Still, she did not flaunt that; she instead got down to my level, as it were, in order to include me and make me a part of things. And it meant the world. What do you know? I was helping her make dinner. My sister is such a great example of Romans 15 where it says, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.” Wow, that’s powerful. I want to say it again in fact – if you are gifted and you’re capable, strong and skilled, don’t do things just to please yourself; instead, lower yourself to the level of someone who is not gifted or capable; someone who is weak and unskilled. It might be someone in your family with a disability; someone in your church or community. Wherever there is weakness and need, there is an opportunity for you to make God shine. To live out humility. An opportunity to think less of yourself and more of someone else.
SHAUNA: Well friend, as usual, Joni gives us a different way of relating and a different way of connecting. She gives us the biblical way, knowing that when there is a need or weakness in the mix, it always means a new normal. And it always requires reliance on our Lord Jesus. If you need prayer support in navigating your new normal, let us know at joniradio.org. And if you know someone who’s weak and needs help, share their name with us too, would you? We want to pray for them. And then, reach out to that friend – make them feel a part of things, just like Joni’s sister did with Joni. You’ll be living out Romans 15 just like Jay. Let’s follow Jay’s example, and God bless you, friend. Thanks for listening to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope!
© Joni and Friends