For When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong

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Learn from the wise words and tender heart of Joni Eareckson Tada.

Life is an unpredictable, inexplicable gift. It’s easy to get discouraged when life doesn’t go as planned or when we encounter what we believe to be roadblocks keeping us from going where we want to go.

 King Solomon wisely said, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

Joni Eareckson Tada, author, artist, founder of Joni and Friends, and devoted follower of Jesus Christ is not a stranger to life’s barricades. At the young age of 17, she was injured in a diving accident that left her with quadriplegia—paralysis below the neck—and daily chronic pain. Yet to Joni, “This is not a detour, it’s just my life.”

“God’s not using our circumstances for some grand purpose in the future, His purpose is always for right now!”

When considering guests for Unshakable Moxie (an Our Daily Bread Ministries docuseries), Joni was an easy choice. Her resilient faith and inspiring outlook on life makes her a woman of moxie. Producer Julie Richardson was overjoyed when Joni agreed to join the team, and Joni said the excitement was mutual.

“Acts 13 talks about the purpose we have to fulfill,” Joni shared, “and I would give anything to speak into the hearts of younger women who don’t know what to make of God’s claim to be good in a world full of horrible suffering and pain.”

The goal of Unshakable Moxie is to encourage and remind women that God’s goodness is not measured or determined by our circumstances.

He is good all of the time. To reiterate this truth, Joni shared the ten words that she believes forever changed her perspective on life: “God permits what He hates, to accomplish what He loves.”

After she was injured, Joni shared how she originally thought God was preparing her to get back on her feet, but once reality was made clear, she had to trust that God had a different story in mind; one that was better.

“God’s not using our circumstances for some grand purpose in the future, His purpose is always for right now!” Joni said.

She stressed that our sovereign God doesn’t miss a beat. When you give your life to Christ, He doesn’t waste one second of it. You have a purpose, your pain has a purpose, and God’s purpose for you is for right now.

For Joni, many of her “nows” are spent in physical pain due to her injury. Sometimes the pain is so intense that it wakes her up in the middle of the night. Instead of responding in pity or anger, Joni said the best way to cope is through hymns and Scripture. Two of her current favorites are “Be Still, My Soul” and Psalm 92.

“I praise God for my quadriplegia and this wheelchair,” she said. “I’ve learned to sit still in many places, and God has used the physical form of stillness in my paralysis and wheelchair to develop a spiritual kind of stillness.”

Joni’s strength is an encouragement to all, and her dedication to Jesus and to helping others feel loved, valuable, and capable is truly inspiring.

In 1979, Joni founded the growing organization Joni and Friends. Her heart goes out to those with disabilities, and she hopes that others will have a sensitivity to and heart for people like her, just like Jesus does.

You can join the work of Joni and Friends by checking out their website joniandfriends.org or Instagram: joniandfriends or Facebook: Joni and Friends.

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Our Daily Bread Ministries

January 9, 2024

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