It Is The Lord You Are Serving
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada bragging on my husband.
Ken and I do our best to honor God through the trials connected with my wheelchair but, as you probably experience yourself, even the most normal daily tasks can be hard to navigate. And for me, those normal tasks can take their toll on my husband. ʼCause most people have no idea what it takes for me, a quadriplegic, to simply get up in the morning. Okay, it’s a two-hour routine and it includes giving range-of-motion exercises, a bed bath, toileting routines, putting on my leg bag, strapping on a corset, getting me dressed, sitting me up in my wheelchair, brushing teeth, fixing hair and face – not to mention fixing breakfast. And that is the abridged version! And at night, I don’t simply jump out of my wheelchair and into bed; it is virtually the same routine as in the morning, except in reverse. Day in, day out, 365 days a year, it does not vary, unless I become ill; and then it’s more complicated.
Now, please, I’m not here to paint a bleak picture of “woe is me and my husband.” No, I’m here to applaud Ken, as well as the many other husbands who take care of their wives, or wives who take care of their men. When couples stand up in front of a preacher and announce their wedding vows before family and friends, they usually don’t think about disability – or if they do, it’s way far in the future when they’re older. But I know couples who, once they’ve tied the knot, face life-altering changes in their health. The new husband discovers he has cancer; the new bride learns she has multiple sclerosis. Sure, Ken and I were very much aware of my quadriplegia when we married, but we had no concept of how difficult, how hard it would be. And it is still hard, even after more than 37 years of marriage.
It’s why the vows we take – the vows any couple takes – are so critical. And it’s why the Word of God is such an anchor in a family. Colossians chapter 3 includes a section of instructions for Christian households. And among all the advice, Colossians 3, verses 23 and 24 sum it up best where the Holy Spirit tells us, look, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Friend, that’s the anchor to which families who struggle with disability must simply fasten themselves to. And it’s what keeps Ken and me moving forward, even as my quadriplegia and bouts with cancer are making it harder and harder.
My husband and I share more about this on today’s Joni and Friends’ podcast, so when you get a moment, visit the podcast page. Just go to joniradio.org.; we’ve got a link there. I’d love for you to hear my husband’s perspective in our lengthier conversation on today’s podcast. So, be sure to tune in, and share it – or share today’s program with your Facebook friends who deal with disability. And if you’re a family member caring for a grandmother, or aging parent, a child with a disability, listen to the Holy Spirit speak to you today through Colossians chapter 3. For whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for that family member, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Because this isn’t just the family member you’re serving; it’s Christ Jesus Himself. Please, friend, remember that as you serve your loved one. And visit our podcast page today at joniandfriends.org to listen more from my amazing husband, Ken Tada. Thanks for listening today on Joni and Friends.
© Joni and Friends
For Better or Worse
Disability presents unique challenges and pressures in even the best of marriages. Ken Tada, married to Joni Eareckson Tada for more than 37 years, shares how disability is an invitation for you and your spouse to depend on Jesus in your weakness and grow closer to each other than you ever thought possible.
