I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and I sure hope you enjoyed Valentine's Day this past Saturday...
My husband Ken and I sure did. And as the years go by, I enjoy not only "boasting in the Lord," but boasting in my husband. The closer Ken gets to Jesus, the more I admire him. Maybe that's partly because I understand my husband’s “language of love." And this guy does things for me... yeah, true, some of the typical stuff a husband might do for a wife, like: fix the leak under the sink... bring the garbage cans in. But Ken is so great when it comes to my wheelchair: charging it, testing the air in the seat cushion, checking the foam in my back support... and basically just keeping my chair in repair.
In fact, not long ago Ken signed up and went on a Wheels for the World trip to Peru where he put his wheelchair-repair skills to the test and served as one of our mechanics. He was pretty good with his tools... a hand-saw to cut the boards for side supports... he had one of those power staplers to cover the seat cushions with vinyl... all kinds of stuff. But Ken, for you, what was the best part?
KEN: Joni, you know the best part of the trip to Peru for me was spending some time with a young man named Roy and his wife. I have to tell you this is a great story. Roy came the year before to actually receive a wheelchair, then proceeds the next year to come back as a mechanic. Now, prior to his having a wheelchair you have to understand that Roy got around by crawling with his hands and his knees, but then he saw something at the distribution site I guess that really touched his heart so he and his wife made the commitment to come back and he is now one of the mechanics at the “Wheels” trip for Peru. I also had a chance to be invited to go to his house. The other part of this is that it takes Roy and his wife an hour and a half to get from where they currently live to the distribution site. Now that’s an hour and a half in the morning and an hour and a half at night so you can imagine they do this during the whole time that our team is down there in Peru, so it’s quite a commitment on his part, but isn’t it neat just as the Bible has told us, and especially even Christ himself said “I have come here to serve” that we as a ministry carry that same mandate into our “Wheels” trips. We have come to serve and what a service it is. I have to tell you, Joni, as you know because you have been on the “Wheels” trip what a thrill it is to be able to give the gift of mobility to someone who has never walked before. Just to watch someone being able to do things that they had never done before changes not only their lives but the lives of their family members as well. Their family now has a whole new outlook in terms of what they can do as a family that they never had a chance before while their loved one away somewhere in their home.
Oh, Ken, God bless you for that insight, you are incredible. That’s why I admire you so.
Well, friend listening, I want you to actually watch my husband in action down there in Peru, as well as meet Roy, our polio survivor friend. Today I'm posting a brief video on our webpage at joniandfriendsradio.org so you can see why I boast in the Lord but also boast in my husband! And you've got to see our friend, Roy, do his thing. He's amazing! So come and visit me today at JoniandFriendsradio.org and just take a minute to watch this great little video. Oh, and by the way, be praying for our Wheels for the World teams in India this week and also in Thailand as we distribute hundreds of Bibles and wheelchairs. Join me in boasting in the Lord for his glory and grace toward all those who have a disability! Until next time, this is Joni on Joni and Friends.
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