Joni is learning to embrace her weak, scratchy voice as a powerful reminder that God’s strength is most evident when your weakness is on display.
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SHAUNA: I’m Shauna, with Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Here’s Joni with a special word. Well, Joni, I am thrilled to be in the radio recording studio with you today. How are you feeling?
JONI: Well, I’m feeling good. Although, my voice sounds a little weak and scratchy, right?
SHAUNA: Just a little.
JONI: Well, I’m sorry to say that I just don’t like the sound of my voice. But I am getting older and so, I guess I sound like it. I don’t want to come across like I’ve got gravel in my throat. But I guess that’s the price of aging. But just a few recording sessions ago, I was humbled by a prayer that our coworker Celeste offered up [before I record, we all gather in a circle to pray]. And Celeste usually leads us; she’s got a real heart for what I do on the radio, here on Sharing Hope, plus she’s like our Joni and Friends prayer warrior. So, right before we started recording, we all circled up and Celeste turned to me to ask if I had any special prayer requests.
“Yes, I do,” I said, “Would you please ask the Lord to sweep away all this scratchy gravel in my voice? I would sure love to sound better.” Well, Celeste made a note of it, and we all bowed our heads to pray. And halfway through, she came to the subject of my voice. Oh, my goodness after Celeste said Amen, I looked up at her in quiet amazement. She was spot on!
Because I should know Second Corinthians 12:9 like the back of my hand: God’s power is most evident when people are weak and dependent on Him. Instead of removing hardships, God gives us grace to endure them. So that we might put God’s power on display, rather than our own. Now, I know that. I’ve said it time and again. I’ve spoken on the topic for years, and I’ve written on how we should not be ashamed of our weakness, but boast in them, knowing that God’s power will show up through it all! But I never attributed that wonderful truth of 2 Corinthians 12 to my larynx, my vocal cords and their raspy, scratchy sound! But that day, I leaned heavier than usual on the Lord. And right now? I’m leaning on God’s power even as I speak.
You know, it was Andrew Murray who once wrote, “The Apostle Paul said, ‘I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling, and...my preaching was...in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.’ So, from the human side there was feebleness; from the divine side there was omnipotence. And that is true of every godly life; and if we would only learn that lesson better, and give a wholehearted, undivided surrender to it, we should learn what blessedness there is in dwelling every morning and every hour and every moment with an Almighty God.” Wow! Thank you, Andrew Murray. And so, today I’m learning to be more grateful for this raspy, weak voice – because in this weakness – oh, God’s strength is on display, right?!
Oh, and I want to thank Celeste for pointing this out to me. And I’m so grateful. By the way, a coworker was snapping photos that morning as we gathered to pray. So, if you’d like to see dear Celeste leading a radio group in prayer, I posted a photo today at joniradio.org. And, hey, drop her a line at joniradio.org And thank you for praying for the outreach of Sharing Hope with me and my raspy voice.
SHAUNA: And Joni if I could just underscore what you just said, I want our friends to remember to go today to joniradio.org because there they’ll not only find this great program, but a treasure trove of other programs with your beautiful voice.
© Joni and Friends