AL: Joni, this has been a busy year…
JONI: … a lot of visits, especially to Washington DC, I'll tell you…
AL: I saw a few photos of you on Capitol Hill, I think that’s when you were talking to senators about the sanctity of life…
JONI: Yes, that was mostly related to work on stem cell research issues.
AL: Thank you for keeping those wheelchair batteries of yours charged up… you do a lot to help us understand disability from a biblical perspective. And I'm sure you’ve had an impact on senators and… perhaps… even the President.
JONI: … I don’t think so!
AL: Well, I know you were at the White House earlier this year when President Bush vetoed the stem cell bill which would have opened up federal funding to experiment on human embryos. What was that like… being at the White House with the President?
JONI: Well, I tell you what, it was a huge honor.
AL: I bet!
JONI: And the morning that we walked – well, actually I wheeled in my wheelchair alongside my friends – but as we walked from our hotel to the White House, we had it in sight for two city blocks, we prayed all the way.
AL: Chasing away nerves, maybe?
JONI: Sort of. In fact, I'm glad you brought that up! Because, yes, it was an honor, and, yes, we prepared hard for our visit, and yes, we were a little anxious… meeting the President! But that morning as we walked to the White House, my friends and I said, “You know, here we are so excited to go meet with the President; wouldn’t it be wonderful if we felt this way about meeting with God in our quiet times? That we would prepare ourselves in the same way one would prepare to meet the President of the United States? All the thought and time and attention, getting ready, talking about meeting with such an important person, the God of the universe? Oh, that I would put as much thought, prayer, and effort – oh, that I would be as excited about being in the presence of Jesus as I am to be in the presence of the President of the United States!”
Psalm 42:2 says, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” All I can say is, I pray that the Holy Spirit will keep instilling within me that high sense of honor, that sense of privilege – oh, when can I go see God? The awesome thought of actually going and meeting with the Lord! And friend listening, there’s no greater honor or privilege in the entire world or the universe. It’s something I'll be remembering tomorrow morning in my quiet time.
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JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
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