Tues., Nov. 16th Update from Joni

Tuesday, November 16th Update from Joni:

This past weekend Ken lit the candles and served up the best grilled lamb as we celebrated a milestone — I’m one month out from the final round of chemotherapy and getting stronger every day. For dessert, we joined friends around the table and thanked God for His sovereign care. Speaking of His sovereignty, later that evening, our Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year reading placed us in Lamentations. There in the third chapter God says without blushing, “Is it not from the mouth of the most high that both calamities and good things come?”
 
It got us talking before bed that night. God clearly claims to run the world – not could run it if He wanted to or can step in when He has to, but does run it – all the time. Even when we suffer. He claims that nothing touches us without first receiving His nod and, like it says in Psalm 139, “All the days ordained for me were written in his book before one of them came to be.” Thankfully God doesn’t say, “Into each life a little rain must fall,” and then aim a hose in earth’s general direction to see who gets the wettest. Rather, He screens the trials that come to each of us — allowing only those that accomplish His good plan because He takes no joy in human agony.
 
That’s good news! Not only does His grace help us, He extends His grace through us to help others. I’m thinking of our Joni and Friends team in Cuba this week… and another team and Ethiopia. 

And just look at this photo taken during our Wheels for the World outreach into Egypt last week — a Muslim mother dressed in traditional black burqa helps steady her disabled child who is being fitted to one of our Regency pediatric wheelchairs.

All around the world we are giving the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who need Him most! Just knowing that makes my own hardship 
seem light and bearable!

So celebrate God’s sovereignty with us this week. God doesn’t take His hands off the wheel for 30 seconds. And although tragedies – including cancer and quadriplegia – happen, God has determined to steer what He hates in a direction that He loves!