Invest In Others
Who are the people who invest in your life when you really need it?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and isn’t it wonderful – I mean, isn’t it a relief when people – they could be friends, neighbors, a relative – I mean, it’s great when you have help, right? ’Cause you know, in your family when everything goes south, when sudden illness or disability overwhelm you – wow, it takes such a load off your mind and your heart when people step in the gap. And you know them, don’t you? I mean, they can be relied on, counted on. They kind of people that you can call at 12 midnight, and you know they’re gonna be there to watch your kids when you gotta take your husband in for a medical emergency. They’ll be there when suddenly your mother falls ill and you must do hospice from home. I mean, you love these people, these friends, neighbors. And you just couldn’t do it without them.
These are the ones who invest in your life. And they don’t mind doing it at all. They’re great examples of 1 Peter 4:9 where it says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” People who invest in one another don’t grumble; they don’t feel put upon; they don’t complain. They avail themselves to you because not only are you worth the investment in their mind’s eye, God is worth it.
This is why my heart broke when Sandra Rivera, a special-needs mom – Sandra and her husband, Dan, they’ve got three children, two with disabilities. DeMetrius and Nathan both have developmental delays, and DeMetrius is non-verbal and in a wheelchair. Anyway, while participating in our Family Retreat at Home program last year, they said in tears, “People don’t invest in us.” There are no relatives; there’re no friends, no neighbors who feel that their family’s worth it – worth the time, worth the sacrifice and the inconvenience. And that’s why Family Retreat at Home meant everything to the Riveras! Dan and Sandra, as well as their kids, were able to connect with new friends who were more than happy to take the time, and make the sacrifice to put up with the inconvenience to make them feel at home, part of the family, cared for, loved on, prayed for and supported. In fact Sandra told us, “In 19 years, I have never seen anything like this. Joni and Friends took time to reach out to us. They saw us, got to know us and made us feel special.” And then her husband Dan added, “And it showed us that we’re not alone.”
And it’s why I know that the Rivera family are gonna be joining us this summer for their first in-person Family Retreat. Right now, our plans are all in place to conduct in-person Family Retreats; because we know that nothing can replace face-to-face encouragement in Christ.
Again, 1 Peter 4 says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” And yeah, it’s easy to grumble and complain and murmur when things get hard – I mean, really hard. But thank the Lord for volunteers like our short-term missionaries we call them, who roll up their sleeves and practice Christianity when push-comes-to-shove in the life of families like the Riveras. Listen, maybe God is putting it on your heart to invest in people like Dan and Sandra and their special-needs kids. If so, go right now to my radio page at joniradio.org, and get linked to our schedule of Family Retreats this summer; retreats where you can invest in others. And, hey, get your church involved! And again, hop on joniradio.org where I have posted a link to our church training resources page at Joni and Friends. Because when you share the hope of Jesus Christ in peoples’ hardships, you become an investor – not only in them, but in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Again, go to joniradio.org. Oh, and hey, we’ve got a great video of the Rivera family posted right now today on our radio page.
© Joni and Friends
Family Retreat Supports Families All Year Long!
Dan and Sandra Rivera were super excited when they heard about Family Retreat. Their sons DeMetrius (19), Nathan (11) and Isaac (6) matched their parents’ excitement. Both DeMetrius and Nathan have global developmental delays, making their day-to-day caregiving routines incredibly complicated – and making vacations impossible. Little Isaac was perhaps anticipating Family Retreat most of all. As he explained, “I was looking…
