How Do We Know If God Really Cares?

“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.”

–Proverbs 25:25

Just before the international travel ban imposed due to COVID-19, our Wheels for the World team went to the Dominican Republic where they met 7-year-old Julia. Julia has hydrocephalus, which has attacked her head and spinal cord, making it impossible for her to walk. Her mother was forced to carry Julia everywhere. Julia’s 24/7 needs would not allow her mother to leave her side, which meant she could not get a job. Julia’s mother – and little Julia herself – depended on the Lord for all their needs. 

But the mountains of poverty, desperation, and isolation were threatening Julia’s health and well-being.

And her mother, knowing that a wheelchair was a luxury they simply would never be able to afford, fell deeper into despair with every passing day. 

The sting of rejection was almost too much to bear. As if the cultural stigma of disability wasn’t enough of a burden for Julia and her mother, they were told that sweet Julia was not welcome in their local school.

The message was clear… Julia was seen as a worthless outcast. 

Julia’s mother became so weary of their day-to-day hardships she began to question the goodness of God. How could a loving God forget one of his little children? 

Have you ever doubted the goodness of God? Have you ever wondered if the Lord may have turned his back on you? If so, then you have more in common with Julia’s mother than you might think.

When things look bleak, we need the reminder that God is real, and that he really cares! And that’s exactly what happened when our Wheels for the World team brought the Good News of Jesus to the Dominican Republic, refreshing a mother’s weary soul and changing the lives of many.

God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

–Hebrews 13:5

And when Julia was custom-fitted into her new wheelchair, and her mother heard the Gospel message, their lives were changed forever. That day, they learned firsthand that God is our ever–present help in trouble.  

Sadly, there are so many heartbreaking stories like Julia’s. Families like hers struggle under the strain of disability, and now… even more so under the threat of coronavirus. That’s why our Joni and Friends in-country partners continue to fit wheelchairs and train local therapists and mechanics – in the Dominican Republic and all over the world. And the pastors we have trained in Julia’s village keep visiting families impacted by disability during shelter-at-home restrictions, ensuring that they have the food, cleaning supplies, and medicine they need during this global pandemic.  

Julia’s life and her mother’s were forever changed because of what happened the day they came to our Wheels for the World outreach. Julia can now go out in her community with her mother, and her mother no longer needs to carry her growing daughter every time they leave their little home.  

Our Wheels for the World team shared the Gospel with Julia and her mother that day, and when asked if she wanted to pray to Jesus, Julia’s mother joyfully agreed! Not only do she and Julia now have the tangible help of a new wheelchair; they have received the greatest gift of all – the promise of an eternity with their wonderful Savior and the confidence that the Lord is active and present in their lives. 

Mountains were moved in Julia’s and her mother’s hearts. They received a new perspective on life and now have the opportunity for a deeper relationship with Jesus. And now that little Julia has a wheelchair, she and her family can go to church and learn more about God’s love for them. 

If God gave you the power to change the world for the better right now, would you do it? Would you be willing to show a family like Julia’s that God really cares about them? You have the miraculous opportunity to do just that – right from your own home! Because now more than ever before, thousands of weary families living on the edge of despair are waiting for you to reach out to them through your prayers and gifts.