Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and I’ve got an anniversary tomorrow…
No, it’s not a wedding anniversary… it is (I don’t know any other way to put this), July 30th is the day I broke my neck when I dove into the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay. And can you believe? It was 42 years ago! You know, when this anniversary rolls around, I usually try to remember – I mean really recall vividly – what happened that day. Not to be morbid… no, not to rehearse sad things; I try to remember that dive because there were so many incredible and miraculous things God did that day.
First, I colored my hair (I bleached it) a really wild bright blonde shade the night before I went to the beach. That alone is quite something because, as my sister Kathy who rescued me often says, “Joni, that water was so murky, from a distance there’s no way I would have seen you floating face-down were it not for that bright blonde hair of yours. It really stood out and I was able to spot you almost immediately.” Isn’t that something! I mean, there aren’t many who would connect a box of Clairol Nice ‘n Easy hair color with a bona fide miracle, but – hey – I mean I might have drowned had it not been for that striking contrast between the dark water and my hair. So around this time of year, I always say thank you, Lord, for the way you sovereignly oversee the tiniest of details in our lives… you care about the minutest things, Lord. And all of it – even down to the incidentals – all of it is under your control -- even a box of Clairol hair color.
But there’s another thing that was under God's control that fateful day and – you probably guessed it – it was that little crab. Yep, it was that crab that bit Kathy’s toe which caused her to swirl around in the water to look for me and scream to watch out for crabs. I mean, she was heading up to the shore; she had her back toward me. And what are the odds of a crab biting someone’s toe at just the right second someone else needs to be rescued? Nothing else could have gotten Kathy’s attention, but the Lord in His wisdom – from time immemorial sovereignly moved that Chesapeake Bay blue crab to reach out and pinch my sister’s big toe -- boy, that sure got her attention. Thank you, Jesus, for being in control of even little crabs. Ephesians 1 isn’t kidding when it says that “You work out everything in conformity with your will.” Wow! Also Psalm 33 where it says “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever.” And Romans 8:28, (who can forget that, right) “He works everything together for good.” Little wonder, God, you are called O, Sovereign Lord over 300 times in the Bible!
And that’s what I'm celebrating today, the day before the anniversary of breaking my neck. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for using a tiny crab to rescue me for good purposes in Your kingdom. And I’d even say grand purposes. So tonight, we’ll do what we always do when July 30th rolls around; we’ll cook up my mother’s delicious crab cakes and enjoy them in honor of that little blue crab and our great sovereign God. Would you like to join us? I’d sure love for you to… and although I can’t squeeze another plate around our dinner table tonight, I welcome you to visit me today at joniandfriendsradio.org and download a copy of my mother’s wonderful crab cake recipe – the best on Maryland’s eastern shore. Or you can call 1-888-522-5664 and we’ll send you the recipe. Of course, you can always write us at P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376. But if you go to my webpage, you’ll not only have the recipe right there, but I’ve posted a very special video of my dear mother singing one of my favorite hymns we often harmonized over around the campfire at the beach every summer. So join me there at joniandfriendsradio.org. and celebrate with me how great is our God, how wonderfully sovereign He is!
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Agoura Hills, CA 91376
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