Helping Hands

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I love my helping hands!

Welcome to Joni and Friends and my get-up girl Brittany? Her hands love to help. She’s an occupational therapist who pretty much “gives” her time to help me get up in my wheelchair on Sunday mornings. My get-up routine isn’t exactly easy – bed bath, stretching my legs, my arms, toileting routines, getting me dressed, sitting me up – oh, my goodness. And what touches me is that Brittany drives quite a distance every Sunday so that she can lend a hand. And, boy, do I appreciate it! Well, not long ago, she saw me wistfully eying a couple of piles and a few closet shelves that were spilling over, and she heard me mutter something like, “Man, I wish I had my hands so I could straighten this stuff up, and put things away, and throw some things out – or at least give them to the Salvation Army.” She nodded in agreement; I mean, what woman doesn’t empathize, right?, when they see clothes and folders and boxes piling up.

Well! Not long after that Brittany arrived one Sunday morning with an envelope – it was a gift, she told me. When I opened it, oh, my goodness! She had created a set of paper hands which, when you opened the card, unfolded. And on the paper cut-out of the two hands were these words: “Joni, I offer you my two hands for three hours of clean-up, whenever you want. It’s my gift to you! Love, Brittany.” I was stunned and so blessed. ’Cause people like me with disabling conditions – we really appreciate “helping hands,” because there are always things that, you know, require time, strength and a little elbow grease from others. And the cool thing is, Brittany was offering her time and efforts as a gift.

Right away, I got excited about my shelves that soon would be tidy; clothes organized; dresser drawers with folded sweaters, oh, my goodness! And papers filed away. What a wonderful gift. And what a wonderful way to volunteer. And, you know, since this week is National Volunteer Week, I encourage you to follow Brittany’s lead. Find a way to use your time and talents to assist a person with a disability in your church or your neighborhood. Or this spring or summer with Joni and Friends. Picture it: I mean, you could sweep the front path, rake the yard, fold laundry, pick up groceries, organize a closet or two. Whatever! Volunteering is the best kind of disability ministry, whether at your church or serving with Joni and Friends. So find a way this week to share your heart and hands – the hands of Christ – to someone with a disabling condition. Someone like me, a quadriplegic whose hands don’t work. I promise, it’ll bless you, because you’ll be following the lead of Colossians 3 where it says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. [You’ll be] serving the Lord Christ.”

Brittany is doing just that. She’s serving Christ by volunteering just a couple of hours to be my hands with any household task for which I need assistance – and I love her creative card that drives it home. In fact, I have posted a fun photo of me and Britt and her cute little gift card with those cut-out hands. So take a look at it today at joniradio.org, and be inspired to do the same. Again, don’t miss the photo with our winning smiles, posted for you at joniradio.org. And also, as you help the disabled, remember you’re serving the Lord on this National Volunteer Week. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends!

© Joni and Friends