Everything in creation belongs to your great Creator God. Get outside today and enjoy the beauty of the world that God has made!
Visit joniradio.org for photos from Joni and Ken's trip to Yosemite National Park!
Some people go for a walk. I like to go for a wheel.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and there’s nothing like walking along a wooded path with a friend, or in my case, wheeling along that path. I think I shared a story last week about my recent trip to Yosemite National Park. Ken and I really needed that vacation, and we were so excited when we learned that the park had miles and miles of asphalt paths. And even those paths that were dirt, even those were flat and even, nice enough to use a wheelchair on. And so, we took along two of my girlfriends, ’cause it would not be a vacation for Ken and me if he had to do all my disability routines; I wanted this trip to Yosemite to be a break for him, too. And so, my friends Kara and McKenzie offered to go with us. And when I told them about the many paved pathways in the park, paved trails that meandered up to Yosemite Falls and to the base of Half Dome, and beautiful paths all throughout the valley floor beside the Merced River, Kara and McKenzie had a great idea. They decided to bring their rollerblades. “That way,” they said to me, “Joni, you can wheel along with us!”
Well, it sounded like a fun idea, but what about Ken Tada? I thanked the girls for their enthusiasm, but I said that I really wouldn’t want to wheel those paths without my husband. And that’s when they came up with the bright idea of renting a bike for him. I loved the idea, and I thought it would be great if all four of us could do something together, but I said to them, “Girls, my husband has not ridden a bike in ages. I mean, years ago he used to go mountain biking, but that was way back when. I don’t even remember the last time my 75-year-old husband was on a bike!”
That did not deter them. Kara and McKenzie did a little investigating, and when we arrived in Yosemite, we went directly to the bike rental. At first, Ken was reticent, but after trying out a few models of different bicycles, he felt comfortable enough to give it a go. And, oh, did we have a great time, all of us either rollerblading, bicycling, or keeping up with a wheelchair! We went everywhere, stopping by rivers, waterfalls, icy cold lakes. We even enjoyed a charcuterie picnic beside a beautiful pond at the base of Half Dome. At joniradio.org today, I’ve posted some photos of our jaunts through Yosemite; just go to joniradio.org and take a look at all of us wheeling our way through that park.
But you know what my favorite memory is? Sure, I loved the afternoon breezes and the roar of Yosemite Falls; I enjoyed sitting by a rushing creek and listening to the water, and even having lunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel. But my favorite memory? Watching Ken Tada on his bicycle, wheeling along as if he’d never stopped riding a bike. It was such fun and again, join in the fun when you visit joniradio.org to see my photo gallery. And, you know, when I recall sitting by that pond, having a picnic at the base of Half Dome, I kept thinking of Psalm 95, “For the Lord is [a] great God, the… King above all gods. In his hands are [all the corners] of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.” And so does El Capitan and Half Dome. Oh, how we kept praising our great Creator God that week at Yosemite. And all those magnificent vistas, all of them, belong to the Lord. Don’t forget to visit joniradio.org today to enjoy my collection of photos from one of the most beautiful parks in our country. And I’ve even got a photo of Ken Tada on his bike. Go today to joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends