Joni And Friends’ 40th Anniversary
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and it’s no surprise, I love horses!
Last summer at our Family Retreat in New Mexico, Ken and I spent the afternoon down at the stables, just hobnobbing with the horses. And there was one gentle gelding that I became attached to. I don’t know, he wasn’t afraid of my wheelchair. Just spending time with that horse brought back a flood of memories on the farm. I used to love saddling up and running my horse through the paces. And often, I’d be preparing him for an endurance race at horse shows. And always, always, I had my eye on a trophy!
I run a different race now, though. No more reins … instead, I hold a joystick. And my saddle is a wheelchair. But the race is still about endurance, and as a quadriplegic, I’ve been running that race for so many years. I still put myself through the paces with disciplines like praying hard, reading the Bible earnestly, and making the most of every opportunity to serve Christ. The last five decades of my paralysis have shown that “I run in such a way as to win the prize,” like it says in First Corinthians chapter 9.
Sometime ago, I rendered a, I think it’s a beautiful painting, of a galloping horse. It’s a watercolor that I did holding brushes between my teeth. And the inspiration for it came from Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 where it says (I love this verse), “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Now, you know that to endure means to bear under a struggle with patience; it means to suffer without yielding to defeat or discouragement. Yeah, there is a lot in the race God has put in front of us which can easily discourage us and defeat us, but the Bible says to run it nevertheless, with endurance. Don’t quit; don’t yield; don’t get sidetracked; don’t give in to weariness or laziness. Endure through all the hardships, because the race God has called us to run – oh my goodness – God has put us on it and it’s far from over. Lord willing, you and I are gonna keep running, growing, serving our Savior for years to come!
And this month we’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of Joni and Friends. And our ministry is also running in such a way as to win the prize. We are all about reaching for Christ the world’s most forgotten, the world’s oft neglected: those with disabilities. And we’re putting ourselves through the paces as we keep growing and serving countless more people. And with four decades of outreach under our belt? I tell you what, it’s clear, friend listening, that you are a part of this glorious race with us! With your prayers, with your interest in our work, you’ve been helping us reach thousands of disabled people find Christ as their Prize. Together, yep, you and I, we are helping those who suffer to endure, to persevere, not give up. And hey, speaking of endurance, I would really love for you to see this wonderful watercolor painting that I did. It’s all in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Joni and Friends. So, just go to joniradio.org to see it, and to reflect on that wonderful verse from Hebrews that the team here at Joni and Friends printed on the painting, “Let us run with … “ Can you do it, friend? “Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”
And if you like that watercolor painting, please share it with your Facebook friends, would you? And finally, I want you to keep up the great pace. Together, let’s bring God more glory as we persevere through hard times. And pray for us at Joni and Friends, would you, as we help disabled people do the same. Uh oh, and one more thing – while you’re at joniradio.org, send a note of congratulations to our teams at Joni and Friends; they’re doing a great job. We thrive on your encouragement as we serve Christ by serving “the least of these,” Lord willing, for many, many years to come! God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends.
© Joni and Friends
Run With Endurance Art Print
This bold painting by Joni Eareckson Tada captures God’s gift of power and majesty with the horse, reminding the viewer to “…Run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
