50th Anniversary Reflections
During July, Joni is reflecting on the past 5 decades of God’s faithfulness following her 1967 diving accident.
Decade 5: 2008-2017
The last 15 years in my wheelchair have not been easy. Around 2002, I began to experience a great deal of pain in my back and hips. Doctors told me that it was due to scoliosis. By that time, I had been sitting in a wheelchair for so long, my weakened spine was curving more. My bones were too porous for an operation, and so I had to, well… live with it. That thought depressed me, and I struggled emotionally for a long time. But years of quadriplegia had taught me to run to God whenever my emotions tried to drag me down that dark, grim path. And so, I immersed myself afresh in the Word of God. Later in 2010, I shared the lessons I learned in A Place of Healing. To this day, whenever I meet someone dealing with chronic pain, I direct them to this special book!
That same year I discovered a large lump on my breast. Ken didn’t waste time in taking me for an exam. I’ll never forget the radiologist telling me, “Mrs. Tada, you have a large suspicious mass with irregular edges. We need to schedule a biopsy for you.” The biopsy revealed stage 3 cancer. Was I nervous? Of course. But I held onto Hebrews 10:36, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” The year-long ordeal gave Ken and me many chances to talk about Christ with chemo patients, nurses, doctors, secretaries, and technicians! Wow! (And 2017 marks two years that I’ve been cancer-free).
In 2014, we delivered our 100,000th wheelchair through Wheels for the World. A disabled little boy named Ebenezer who lived in Ghana received it. His village staged a celebration with African drums and dancing. To me, it was fitting that the 100,000th chair was given in Ghana, the country where it all began. Back in 1994, the first time Wheels for the World delivered chairs there, a paralyzed man came into our distribution center, ‘crawling’ on his hands and dragging his legs. When he saw me, he leaned back with arms spread wide and said, “Welcome, Joni, to our country where God is so much bigger. And He is bigger because we need Him more.” That was a highlight!
I’m amazed at all the ministry God has accomplished through my life, these 50 years. And I want to you to join me as we do more ministry in the years to come. Help me celebrate by volunteering at a Joni and Friends’ Family Retreat, or on a Wheels for the World team. Serve as a Cause 4 Life intern, or join our prayer team. Let’s take this party to the streets and alleys, to the highways and byways to bring in more people with disabilities!
