Joni tells you why Family Retreats are something to sing about in this program! To learn more about Family Retreats at Joni and Friends, go to www.joniradio.org.
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SHAUNA: Hi, this is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. And I’m inviting you to sing this old favorite with Joni.
(Joni sings:)
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.
JONI: And I hope you were singing along, because there’s something wonderful about lifting our voices together, don’t you think? In a song of praise. Especially when, I don’t know, when it’s an unexpected spur-of-the-moment surprise; you didn’t know I was going to ask you to do that, right? Just like I just surprised you. You sang along, right? And when spontaneous singing happens, oh my goodness, it warms our hearts. The same thing occurred at a Joni and Friends Family Retreat in Georgia. I remember, it was a hot and sultry day and most of the disabled kids were down at the slip ‘n’ slide having water balloon battles with their volunteers, and their moms and dads were escaping the heat by the lake, or a few were cooling off inside their cabins.
But I found shade under the roof of an open pavilion not far from the lake. And that’s when Andrew and Caron walked up with their teenage son Kim and little Stefan who has severe autism. The family sat on a picnic bench near me, and we began chatting. And once I learned that Andrew was a church worship leader, I couldn’t help but break out into a hymn. And no sooner did I start singing, when he chipped in with harmony. And that did it! We were off and running and before we knew it, we kickstarted a spirit-blessed hymn sing. And under the roof of that big pavilion – wow – our harmony resonated and echoed and sounded so, so, so big and beautiful.
Within 15 or 20 minutes, families began wandering up from the lake in swimsuits and towels. Others left their cabins and brought sodas. Even the kids down at the slip ‘n’ slide couldn’t, couldn’t wait. They didn't want to miss the action. Families and kids began pulling up chairs and dragging picnic tables into a circle. More mothers and fathers arrived after their workshops had let out. Some brought their cameras and when they wanted to get in a photo with me, I would say with a smile, “It's gonna cost you a song!” And that's when they had to stand there and come up with a favorite praise song or a hymn that everybody else could sing. It was so much fun, and more people wanted photos – and of course, that meant more singing. Under that pavilion, the harmony echoed so beautifully that nobody wanted to leave. And the more we sang, the happier we felt, and the more Jesus was honored. And by the end of the day, as the sun was setting, the burdens of our disabilities had been rolled away.
SHAUNA: You know, that same thing is going to be happening as this week, we have Family Retreats in Ohio, Mississippi, Oregon, and Tennessee. And it’s natural to be filled with joy when you sing to the Lord, for it says in Ephesians 5, “… be filled with the Spirit…sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.” Yep, you even got to give thanks to God for disabilities. That’s what we do at Family Retreats. And you know what else? We sing about it. We sing our way through suffering. And that’s what makes Family Retreat so special. We give thanks for every limitation because God’s grace is that good. And friend, that’s something to sing about!
© Joni and Friends