Joni’s Kayak
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and you know I love Family Retreats. And I’ve got my friend and coworker here with me, Shauna Amick. Hi, Shauna! (SHAUNA: Hey there, Joni.) And you know you and I have gone to more Family Retreats than you can shake a stick at! (SHAUNA: That’s for sure.) We’ve seen so many dreams fulfilled; so many “firsts.”
SHAUNA: Like seeing that severely disabled boy who had always been in his wheelchair do his first rock climbing trip – the very first time out of that chair and climbing up a wall. Joni, it was amazing. Or hearing a non-verbal young man sing praises to the Lord for the very first time in his life.
JONI: You know, at Talent Night that’s the kind of thing that thrills a mother and father’s heart.
SHAUNA: Oh, it thrilled his mom to tears. I remember those tears vividly. And I also remember a young man named David who had always wanted to play the role of Jesus in a performance. But try as he might, no matter how many auditions he went to or how many times he volunteered he just never got picked, until Talent Show night at Family Retreat.
JONI: Always room for a performance of Jesus.
SHAUNA: That’s right, and I watched David and his friends enact the Gospel, just preaching the Word for all to hear. And David got to play Jesus for the first time in his life.
JONI: I must confess I have had a couple of dreams fulfilled, some “firsts” for myself.
SHAUNA: You know what; I got to witness three of those. Oh my goodness, I remember when you came to Joni and Friends New England Family Retreat (JONI: and you were the Retreat Director), and there were three “firsts.” I couldn’t believe it. You said it was the first time you did a New England Contra dance. The first time,
JONI: Wait a minute, a what?
SHAUNA: A contra dance; you remember this, it’s kind of like a square dance except it’s got this special New England flair to it.
JONI: I thought it was always “Country dance!”
SHAUNA: Contra, Contra dance. That’s a very New England thing.
JONI: Okay! It was the first I must confess.
SHAUNA: It was the first time that you played the Xylophone (JONI: That’s true!), and it was the first time you and Ken…
JONI: Okay, wait a minute – the Kayak ride on the lake at Family Retreat!
SHAUNA: That’s it.
JONI: Oh, I remember that so well! One minute I’m sittin’ in my wheelchair on the shore of this beautiful lake with the loons calling, and the next thing I know, I mean, you guys, your team, had both Ken and me sittin’ in this two person kayak, and Ken rowed me out into the middle of that beautiful lake. It was so quiet, peaceful and beautiful. You could hear the paddling of the oars and the loons calling. It brought me so much peace and joy; I will never forget that moment! Amazing!
SHAUNA: What you might not realize is that when you and Ken were out in the middle of the lake just enjoying the peace and the serenity of God, you had a whole crew of folks on the shore celebrating the victory with you! And we were not quiet, we were rejoicing because it was what I remember, like Psalm 126, where we hear, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy, and it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for us!”
JONI: Well, it was a great thing for me to get into that Kayak. Are you sure you guys weren’t on the shore wondering whether or not the thing was going to sink??
SHAUNA: Well, we were prayin’, that’s for sure. I didn’t want to lose you on my watch, but we were mostly just celebrating.
JONI: Well, there are so many “firsts,” so many dreams fulfilled at Family Retreat and that’s what God does. He fulfills long-time dreams, gives us unforgettable first-time experiences, demonstrates His love and power in such personal ways. And, uh, okay, Shauna you might not remember. They took a photo of me and my husband in that kayak as we were pulling back up onto shore.
SHAUNA: They did and it is gorgeous! And friend, you go to joniradio.org today and you’re going to see that awesome photo of Joni and Ken on Joni’s first kayak adventure, and you’ll also find out how you can experience God’s joy at a Family Retreat near you!
JONI: It’s not too late to sign up and volunteer so check us out at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends
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