Tune in to listen to a fun story about a hawk. You’ll look at birds differently after hearing this one.
We will never know how our simple stories impact others for Christ.
Well, sometimes we do have the pleasure of knowing. And I’m thinking of Gail who is reading my book The Practice of the Presence of Jesus. My book is a collection of devotionals, some of them even had their start as radio programs right here on Sharing Hope. Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and let me let Gail tell her own story. Let me read her email here.
“Dear Joni and Friends, please pass this message on to Joni as I know what I’m about to say would bless her. I am a 72-year-old widow, and I live with chronic pain. Both knees are bone on bone, bursitis in both hips, and severe pain in both shoulders. But in Joni’s book, The Practice of the Presence of Jesus, I read this amazing account how she was in terrible pain one night [and kept asking God to help her. She kept thinking of the verse in Isaiah where trusting in the Lord is like mounting up on wings eagles]. Well, the next morning she woke up and saw beyond the window, a massive hawk perched on the side of her bird bath. It was like God blessed her with a real picture of that Bible verse. And it encouraged Joni. And I have kept going back to that account often and re-reading it. Most of my days are spent trying to get work done around the house and taking lots of rest periods due to the constant pain which makes walking difficult. Well, during a time when my pain had increased so much, more so than I had ever experienced, I had a similar thing happen as Joni’s.”
And she continues writing she says: “My son, Andrew, had taken the day off from work as we were expecting a technician to come and service our air conditioning unit. Well, he went to the window to watch for the serviceman. And suddenly, Andrew said, ‘Oh wow, there is a hawk sitting on the railing on our front porch!’ And I said, ‘Oh I must get up and see this even though my pain is extreme right now.’ Going to the window, there sat the hawk, looking [our way]. He was so close to the window you could almost reach out and touch him. This had to be a divine moment clearly arranged by God to encourage me. How many times had I re-read Joni's account of the hawk sitting on her birdbath, and now when my pain was the worst it had ever been, I am also visited by a hawk. What makes it even more amazing is that I only saw it because Andrew was home that day, watching for the serviceman. I never go to the windows to look out during the day. The less walking I have to do when my pain is this bad, the better. So, any other time, I would not have seen the hawk. Also, this huge bird was sitting and just looking at the house. Not with his back to us, looking for prey. We have never seen a hawk at our house before.”
And then Gail finishes up saying: “Please let Joni read my email. What are the chances that someone reading her story of the big hawk would have an almost identical experience? I will always remember the hawk that the Lord sent to encourage me in my pain.” Well, God bless Gail today as I’m sure she’s dealing with pain even still. And friend, if that’s your story today, remember if you wait upon the Lord, he will renew your strength, and you will mount up with wings as eagles; you shall run and not be weary; you’ll walk, and not be faint [so goes Isaiah 40:31]. And let that friend be the word of encouragement that blesses you today with or without a hawk.
© Joni and Friends