Volunteers provide much needed help and inspiration to the disabled people who attend the Joni and Friends Family Retreats. Get more details at joniradio.org and serve with the team this upcoming summer!
A Joni and Friends Family Retreat is a little slice of heaven on earth! Learn how you be part of providing a Christ-centered, accessible week of respite for families living with disability here: https://joniandfriends.org/family-retreat/
To what lengths will God go to rescue a lost soul?
Well, hi, I’m your friend Joni Eareckson Tada and I want you to think about that for a minute. How far do you think God will go to rescue one of his elect? Well, consider that as I share this story about my friend Tim. He went duck hunting with a few of his buddies. They were along the shore of a large lake, sitting low in the tall grass, being as quiet as they could. But down a-ways from their duck blind, oh, less than what, a quarter of a mile, a truck had parked. They were guys with guns, duck-hunting, as well. But they were talking loudly, drinking, cutting up. Tim stood up and called out, “Hey, be quiet, you’re scaring the ducks away.” And one guy [who had a gun] did not react kindly. And so, he yelled back, raised his gun and shot in the direction of Tim’s duck blind.
What are the chances? Who would’ve thought that the bullet sliced right into Tim’s neck; and instantly, he fell to the ground, completely paralyzed – a quadriplegic. Thankfully, those young men were apprehended, but for Tim, he had to live in a wheelchair, in constant pain, and when he wasn’t sitting up, he was in bed, trying to heal awful pressure sores. You can see why this rugged, outdoorsman struggled with depression. Bu one of our precious supporters, Mariellen, made sure that Tim got an invitation to Family Retreat, and she even gave him a scholarship to make it easier. He had an awesome volunteer named Laura who bent over backward to make that week as fun and as meaningful as possible. Laura made sure that Tim arrived on time for worship to hear the camp pastor’s message. And before the Family Retreat finished? Tim embraced Jesus as his Lord and Savior. And right after that Family Retreat, I met Tim when I traveled to Indiana, and we quickly became friends through email. I mean after all, we both struggled with quadriplegia. And I was able to give comfort from the Bible, advice about [oh, I don’t know] catheters, disabilities, and connect him with others at Joni and Friends. When he got a pressure sore, I sent him an air-filled seat cushion for his wheelchair. And praise God that Laura, his volunteer from Family Retreat, remained in Tim’s life. But at the beginning of this year, Tim caught a virus and sadly, he passed away not long ago from pneumonia.
He lived 15 years as a quadriplegic. But Laura sent me a note before he died. And she wrote down Tim’s words. The note said: “Were it not for my accident, never would I have met Jesus.” And he signed it Tim. And now, Tim is saved and safe in heaven. So, back to my question. To what lengths will God go to rescue a lost soul? Would God be so bold as to guide a reckless bullet, placing paralysis in the mix? Well, if we believe that he is sovereign, then yes. And my friend Tim would agree. That day on the lake, that bullet, his wheelchair and the pain – he said it all was worth it.
Romans 11 says, “Look at how kind and how severe God can be.” Tim’s accident was God’s severity; but the kindness of God for Tim is now a joy-filled life for eternity with a glorified body! Oh, friend, let’s see more disabled people like Tim come to Christ. And I’m putting out a call for more volunteers like Laura. It’s National Volunteer Week; the perfect time for you to serve with Joni and Friends, just like her. Volunteers provide much needed help and inspiration to the disabled people who attend Family Retreat. Get the details at joniradio.org and get excited about one day meeting Tim in heaven.
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