Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends".
It’s not often that Ken and I and our traveling helpers have a chance to take a side scenic trip during a busy ministry tour, but earlier this season, we grabbed the opportunity while we were in New York. We got up early one day, drove a couple of hours out of our way and we went to see Niagara Falls. It was the first time that Ken and my helpers had ever seen those magnificent falls. We visited the Canadian side, that’s probably the best view of the two big sections of Niagara Falls. We even donned rain slickers and got on a tour boat that took us right up into the center of Horseshoe Falls. Spray was everywhere and we could hardly hear each other above the thundering roar. Soaking wet, I looked up into the underside of all this water cascading down and kept yelling above the roar to Ken, “God is so awesome, oh He is so awesome!” It was a pure and pristine picture of our mighty God and His deafening, soul-shaking power. Truly, it was a blessed, a spiritually enriching experience. God's beauty and supremacy was so evident through majestic display of His creative power right there at Niagara Falls.
When we dried off, we started our walk back to the parking lot. The Canadian side of the falls of course is lined with a lovely park with manicured lawns and lots of flowers. But, just 20 yards beyond the park on our way to the car, the noise of the crowded streets became louder. We passed casinos, bars, a ghoulish haunted house amusement center, shops that displayed obscene t-shirts, and a Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not, just to name a few of the awful attractions. And I could not believe how full the streets were with people enjoying all this stuff. I kept thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, Lord, the epitome of your creation isn’t Niagara Falls; it’s supposed to be man. But oh, what a horrible mess people are in and how they need a Savior!’
It made me so sad over how sin has warped and twisted peoples’ interests and passions. But I tell you what, walking those streets had a positive effect on us all in one way because when we continued on our ministry trip, we became freshly energized to be all the more bold in sharing the Gospel at every meeting, with every hotel clerk, maid, taxi driver, waiter maitre de or waitress, flight attendant and gate agent. The days are growing darker, friend, and in many ways, they are growing more evil. The Lord is near, and the fields are ready for harvest.
Oh, one more thing: The sad state of humanity should not cause us to withdraw from or bemoan the wicked world around us. No, it should cause us to spring into action, pray all the more fervently, and be all the more bold in talking about Christ. As we came home from New York, we kept praying for all the people we gave Gospel tracts to, and we asked the Lord to bring about a fruitful harvest of souls saved. Surely, you must have people that you’ve been witnessing to and, if so, we would like to pray for them at Joni and Friends. So visit the “contact page” at joniandfriends.org and leave a prayer request about your unsaved friend or family member. Oh, and while you are there, go to my radio page and enjoy a photo that my husband Ken snapped of Niagara Falls right when we were there at the bottom of all that cascading water. Let it be a reminder that the epitome of God's creation is not a mountain, not a waterfall, or an ocean or even the full moon out tonight. It’s your neighbor, it’s your family member; it’s your friend who needs Jesus. Tell us about them today.
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