Joni Celebrates Her 70th
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and today’s my birthday!
And I am so happy to have reached the age of 70. Come on! Not many quadriplegics get this far. I mean, decades ago, when I became paralyzed, you know, as a result of that diving accident, statistics for people like me were awfully bleak. Not many folks survived a broken neck. And those who did, struggled with, oh, I don’t know, kidney problems, lung infections. Many succumbed to pressure sores from sitting too long in a wheelchair. Other quadriplegics just gave up; they suffocated in hopelessness or caved into despair. Back then, some quadriplegics, even young ones in their 20s, were forced into convalescent centers; they had to be warehoused in nursing homes; families simply weren’t able to care for them, physically, financially. That was the reality for people with broken necks like me. And over the years, I’ve lost many friends in wheelchairs because of these things.
But somehow, someway, and I can’t explain it, but by the grace of God, I survived all that. I have lived through decades of quadriplegia to arrive at this amazing age of 70 years old. Maybe some women frown when they reach that age, but not me. For me, it’s a miracle. And on my birthday, I am not about to shift into cruise control. I’m not going to allow myself to feel overwhelmed by my chronic pain or fears of the future as things get harder. And God’s not going to allow it, either. Jesus won’t bless it; the Holy Spirit won’t permit it. So I’m pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. I am living out Acts 20:24. Listen to this – this is my birthday commitment as I begin a new decade in this wheelchair, okay?
Acts 20 says: “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the Good News of God’s grace.” There you go. That’s it. Right there. I’m not on cruise control; I’m not shifting into neutral, and I have certainly not shifted into park. Uh, uh. I’m pressing on toward the goal to win the prize. My only aim is to finish this race and complete this task of testifying to the Good News of God’s grace.
And I do it every day through Joni and Friends as we give the good news of God’s grace to people with disabilities around the world. I mean, look, I have been blessed so much. Unlike many people who succumb to quadriplegia, I’ve survived; I’ve reached the amazing age of 70. That is something to celebrate. So, I’m gonna ask you – help me pass on the blessings so that other disabled people can survive; so that other disabled people don’t suffocate in hopelessness. Would you help me finish the race and complete the task of giving the Gospel of Christ to people with special needs around the world? Umm, just how can you do that? How can you help me? Well, I’ll tell you what I’ve been telling all my friends – don’t give me gifts; give the Gospel of God’s grace to people with disabilities like me. And you can do it by donating to my birthday. Raise the roof on this party and help me complete the task of giving the Good News to the hopeless and helpless. All the details are right there on joniradio.org. It’ll tell you how you can take part in my birthday celebration. And while you’re there, I’d love for you to watch a brief video that I have posted with more of my birthday recollections. So, join me in pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus. Pass on the blessing. Complete the task. And today, give the Gospel of God’s grace.
© Joni and Friends
Joni is Donating Her Birthday!
This year marks a miracle milestone for Joni. She is looking for 70 friends, or better yet 700 friends, to donate $70 dollars each to her 70th birthday campaign! Joni is raising funds so that Joni and Friends can serve more people living with disabilities worldwide!
Give to Joni’s Birthday!
