Make God Shine
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and there is nothing like the love of a sister.
Just recently I had a chance to FaceTime with my sister JK, and even though we live on opposite ends of the country, it was so wonderful to see her smile and hear her voice right there on my screen on my iPhone. I miss her so, especially now that we are getting older, and I do not have the chance to visit our farm in Maryland like I used to. Besides catching up on family news, Jay and I spent our FaceTime mainly sharing memories. Good memories. The kind that when you reflect on them, you feel stronger, you feel happier, more grateful to God for family.
So, I thought I would recount for you one of those special memories. You see, after my diving accident in which I broke my neck and became paralyzed; after my long hospitalization and rehab, I went to live with my sister Jay on the farm. She did everything to make me feel welcomed, like I still fit there in the farmhouse, even though my clunky wheelchair was wider than her hallways. She smoothed over those rough spots and went the extra effort to make me, a new quadriplegic, still feel like a part of things. It’s one reason why I loved helping her make dinner. Now that sounds strange saying because I couldn’t use my hands; I could not open the refrigerator; I can’t hold a mixer or reach for a saucepan. Besides, Jay’s kitchen was so narrow – like a kitchen galley with not much room – so small, I couldn’t even get my wheelchair near the stove. But Jay made every effort to draw me close and include me. She would walk over to me, whipping a bowl of mashed potatoes that were resting on her hip, and she’d tilt it my way and say, “Think these are creamy enough, Joni?” She let me taste them and then ask, “Should I add more milk? What do you think?”
Now, I knew Jay didn’t need my advice. My sisters and I all knew that besides mother, that she was the best cook in the family. Still, she did not flaunt that; she instead got down my level, as it were, in order to include me and make me a part of things. And it meant the world. What do you know, I was helping her make dinner. My sister is such a great example of Romans 15 where it says, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.” Wow, that’s powerful. I want to say it again in fact – if you are gifted and you’re capable, strong and skilled, don’t do things just to please yourself; instead, lower yourself to the level of someone who is not gifted or capable; someone who is weak and unskilled. It might be someone in your family with a disability; someone in your church or community. Wherever there is weakness and need, there is an opportunity for you to make God shine. To live out humility. An opportunity to think less of yourself and more of someone else.
Yep, in this world, that’s a different way of relating, a different way of connecting. Because when there is a need and weakness in the mix, it always means a new normal. In fact, that is the title of a booklet I would like to give you today. Maybe you, like my sister Jay, are a family member of someone with a disability. If so, our booklet called “A New Normal” is for you. Get your copy today at joniradio.org. Consider it Jay’s and my gift to you. Finally, if you know someone who is weak and needs help, include that person, would you? Reach out; make them feel a part of things. Because you will be living out Romans 15 just like my sister. Follow Jay’s example and get Jay’s gift to you today at joniradio.org. God bless you today and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends!
© Joni and Friends
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A New Normal
Life can change in an instant. A car accident. A medical diagnosis. Loss of a job. How can you survive and thrive when your world is shattered? “A New Normal” walks you through the questions you may be asking as you process a long-term trial or a devastating loss. Be encouraged that God’s mercies are new every morning. Your pain is an invitation to know the heart of Jesus and to hope in the restoration that the Lord will work on your behalf.
