Kathy's Perspective

I'm fast approaching a pretty amazing anniversary…

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and in just a couple of days it’ll be the anniversary of the diving accident in which I became paralyzed – I can’t believe I’ve lived 43 years in this wheelchair, whoa. My sister Kathy – she was the one who rescued me out of the water that day I broke my neck in the Chesapeake Bay; anyway, Kathy and I were talking about all that has happened in these many years that have passed since that fateful day. In fact, she asked me if I could send her a hardback copy of the Joni book for the library in the school where she teaches – the one I gave her school many years ago is all worn out. There’s a whole new generation of kids coming up that my sister I should explain that my sister, Kathy, teaches in an elementary school in Baltimore City – the neighborhood is pretty rough and, bless her heart, she has so many kids in her class from broken homes – some of her students in second grade come to school having dressed themselves, gotten themselves breakfast and off to catch the bus on time; a lot of her children don’t have parents or one of the parents is in jail or on drugs. It breaks my sister’s heart that some of the children even call her Mommy rather than Miss Eareckson… isn’t that something? 

Kathy was telling me that she recognizes that this is the new generation coming up who could really be blessed by reading the Joni book or seeing the Joni movie on DVD – these kids live with some tough circumstances. She was telling me that these kids in her school, many of them have never heard the name of Jesus. (Can you believe that? There is a city in the United States where kids just don’t even hear the name of Jesus!) Well, to be more accurate, they do hear His name but they hear it as a curse word, but really there are actually kids growing up who don’t know anything about Christ and His love for them… there are countless numbers of children in America who are clueless about the Gospel. Kathy was telling me that as an educator, she’s convinced that her school needs as many role models of courage and inspiration as they can get! 

So, I’m looking forward to sending a hardback copy of the Joni book to the school library, and a DVD of the movie, as well. I thank the Lord that in this wheelchair of mine, I can help boys and girls understand just who Christ is and why I love Him so. And I'm grateful to my sister for reminding me of the overwhelming needs of children in America who live in homes where God is never mentioned. May I ask you, would you please pray for so many good teachers like my sister Kathy who are working in urban school systems where the problems and needs are so critical? Ask God to use these teachers, even the ones in public school systems – especially public school systems -- to be a light for the Lord in the midst of so much darkness. 

And, hey, if you know some boys and girls – maybe you’re a teacher and your kids have never heard about the Joni book – well, tell them to visit me on my radio page at joniandfriends.org where they can see a clip of the Joni movie. Again, that’s joniandfriends.org and if you’d like to get the DVD, you can always flip over to our product page. Anyway, thank you for joining me in prayer that God will use the years I have left in this wheelchair to reach a new generation with the Good News of Jesus. Oh, Lord, please help me stay healthy long enough to reach this new generation. Because if the Lord Jesus can raise me up out of my circumstances and give me His joy, wow, what more couldn’t He do in your life, or the life of anyone, young or old… anyone on their feet? That’s something to celebrate on this week of the anniversary of my diving accident.

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