Jay and Katherine Wolf

By |Published On: January 31, 2018|Categories: 4-Minute Radio Program|
Portrait of the Jay and Katherine Wolf with their two children

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with another inspiring story about marriage.

This time, I’m sharing the story of Jay and Katherine Wolf and oh, what a beautiful couple they are. After they married and graduated from college, Katherine and Jay moved to Malibu, California, where she pursued a career in modeling (she’s so beautiful). Jay began law school at Pepperdine, and a couple of years later, Katherine gave birth to their first son, James. But in April 2008, when James was just six months old, the unthinkable happened. Katherine was in the kitchen preparing lasagna for dinner, James was down for a nap and all of a sudden, a sharp headache blindsided her. She stumbled into the living room, called out, but then collapsed on the floor. Jay, who just happened to be home from class break, found her, and his wife was unresponsive there on the floor.

He quickly called 9-1-1 and when Katherine was admitted to the hospital, it was discovered she suffered a brain stem stroke. A surgeon at UCLA performed an extremely difficult 16-hour surgery that no one thought Katherine would survive. But after 40 days in ICU, multiple surgeries, and months of rehab, Katherine (believe it or not) was able to resume an incredibly normal life. Except it was a new normal, a normal with residual paralysis and blurred vision. But this couple is so amazing; they trust in God’s grace with every new challenge.

Anyone who meets Katherine is struck by how unself-conscious she seems to be about her paralyzed right side, her slurred speech and the need to walk with a cane. And it doesn’t stop there. Some time ago, when Katherine was home visiting her family in Georgia, she tripped and broke her leg. But in typical fashion she said, “No worries, after all, it’s already my ‘bad leg.’” This beautiful, yet scarred woman was a bright ray of sunshine when she was in the hospital. She could have been bitter and bemoaned: “Why me, God?” She could have been filled with regret at having lost such a successful modeling career (and you really must go to my radio page at Joniandfriends.org to see photos of Katherine before her stroke and now photos afterward).

But every single day, Katherine and Jay are pointing others to the Lord. All along their journey, a journey that has meant loss of things like speaking, swallowing easily, seeing, walking, driving and writing. But Katherine has some great advice for us all. Not long ago she wrote on her blog:

“What has happened to me is extreme; but it’s similar to what everyone deals with. I couldn’t walk, but who feels free even when they can. My face is messed up. It’s frozen, paralyzed. But who feels beautiful even when they are normal? My stroke makes it hard to eat, but who feels satisfied even when they can eat? My voice is messed up now, but who feels understood even when they can speak? No one! So, no matter the situation, people identify with me and what I am living out. They don’t feel free. They don’t feel satisfied.” But then she adds, “When God is all you have, you realize that God is all you ever needed.”

You can see photos of this amazing couple by visiting my radio page today at Joniandfriends.org. Just looking at those snapshots will remind you that a beautiful spirit has much more depth and charm than you can possibly imagine. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your free copy of “Living by Vows” something Katherine and Jay Wolf do every day. It’s all there for you at joniandfriends.org/radio.

© Joni and Friends

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