The Blueprint

It was on a hot Saturday afternoon in July 1967—50 years ago this month—that I took the fateful dive that completely altered my life. Before the accident in which I broke my neck, I was college-bound to become a physical therapist. I wanted to work with people in wheelchairs – never did I dream that I would end up in one for the rest of my life! Lying in ICU, I was so fearful of the future. The whole idea of sitting down for the rest of my life without use of my hands or legs overwhelmed me. What was God doing? What was His plan?

If only He would explain the blueprint of my future, then I’d be able to understand, and so trust Him. Maybe you’ve felt this way. If so, we are not alone. In Exodus 33, Moses, being unsure of what lies ahead, says to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully.” In other words, Moses was asking for God’s blueprint. Then he would be happy to lead God’s people. But God’s response? “I will personally go with you, Moses…” We may think we can’t move forward without the blueprint, but as Oswald Chambers says, “God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is.” God is the blueprint. Jesus is the Way. When it came to accepting my quadriplegia, it began with trusting Jesus. I could almost hear God saying, “Joni, I will personally go with you.” Jesus is not only the Way, after 50 years of living in this wheelchair, He is still the Plan. It’s all I need to know.