Small Victories

 

Poster’s note:  I thought this would be a fitting blog for this week.  Though Noel was writing about the inspiration Joni Eareckson Tada was to him several years ago she is still inspiring us today.  This week several of us are at a Family retreat that CH is putting on with Joni and Friends (Joni’s ministry) at Elim Lodge.  Joni and Friends has been running these retreats for several years in the US and other countries ministering to families affected by disability.  This is our first time partnering with them in this way.  We appreciate your prayers this week for this camp. (Mark Wallace)

Small Victories

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Prov 16:3

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 I am constantly amazed when I read the devotional book, Diamonds in the Dust
written by Joni Eareckson Tada (Zondervan). It is apparent that Joni was an active
young woman with a deep commitment to accepting God’s leading in her life.
As a teenager, Joni was in a serious accident that left her paralyzed.

At one point, Joni reminds herself, and us, that she had prayed that God would do
whatever it might take to draw her closer to Him. She sees this tragic accident as
being part of God’s answer to her heart’s prayer! Wow! I could hardly read
her words through the tears in my own eyes.

Joni’s accounts of her personal life leave no doubt that she continues to wrestle
with her feelings of frustration and loss. However, it is perfectly clear that Joni only
accepts victory as she is eventually able to submit these battles to God, so that
He might work through the experiences to achieve His purposes for her and for
those she is in a position to influence. As Joni relates her experiences, she does so
humbly, acknowledging her humanity and the fact that her life is not one of a
victory won but rather a work in progress. Throughout her writings, she causes her
readers to reflect on the little joys God places in each person’s life. Joni counts her
blessings, names them one by one. And it surprises her, what the Lord has done.
What an example! I am afraid to pray Joni’s prayer. I confess I am not as strong as
she is. Oh, I do want to be more like Christ, but I still hold out that it
might be on my terms.

Joni is so weak physically, but so strong in her faith and obedience. I am physically
able to do things that are beyond Joni’s expectations for herself; however, I am not
the person Joni is. I have not won the victories she has won in her walk of faith.
I have not even been challenged with many of the battles!

Does this sound a little like your experience too? Well take heart. I am in awe!
In spite of my tiny faith and my tendency toward sin, God has done and is doing
a miracle — and I am standing right in the middle of it all. God is so good. I have
often been lying on my bed at night, talking things over with God. I look back over

 the day and realize that I didn’t know enough or do enough, often actually
hindering others through inappropriate actions or comments on my part. Yet, I have
been blessed as I have taken the challenges and handed them over to God.
He knows more than I will ever know. He can do what I can never do. On many
occasions, God has taken the inappropriate things that I have done and used them
to bring a unique blessing. He cares more about the outcome and the influence on
others than I can ever care. And over the past years, I too, like Joni, can testify that
God is good and His desire to bless is not limited by my limitations, but is let loose
as I commit the challenges I face to Him so that He can receive all the credit.

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Heavenly Father, I am in awe. You are great and Your greatness is most clearly seen
in my life as I continue to be amazed at what You have done, and are doing,
in spite of my limitations and my sin. Thank You. Amen.

- Noel Churchman

Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.

Joni Eareckson Tada

Neil wrote some blogs this summer after visiting with Joni and friends.  Joni Eareckson Tada has been an inspiring figure for anyone dealing with disability.  For those of you who don't know her story here is a link to a video about her life.  It is interesting for me as someone who sometimes helps people with special needs through their daily activities what it is like for the person receiving the support.  She is a great example of faith. 

http://www.joniandfriends.org/television/id-rather-be-wheelchair-knowing-him/

She is touching people around the world with God's love.

-Mark Wallace

A Visit with Joni and Friends

Michael Alemu and I had the privilege of spending a few days with a very special ministry, Joni and Friends in Agoura Hill CA. Sadly, we were unable to actually meet with Joni, and she sent us her regrets. She had been looking forward to meeting Michael- although, she did ask me to be her facebook friend first! :)


In June, Joni discovered she had breast cancer and has been undergoing treatments. One of those treatments was the day before we arrived and she was having a particularly difficult day. She sent a special gift to Christian Horizons. It is a special scrap book edition recounting the beginnings of her journey and the ministry.

She gave Michael and I each a book that is not yet released. I read it on the plane home and have been deeply moved by it. The book is entitled “A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of suffering, pain, and God’s sovereignty”. If anyone has the right to weigh in on the questions of suffering, pain and sovereignty it is this amazing woman. I was doing some reading on another topic this weekend, and incidentally came across a comment by N.T. Wright that stated “Joni Eareckson Tada is an excellent practical theologian”.

The motivation for writing this book was not her continuing struggle of being a quadriplegic – after four decades, she had come to peace with what she believes was God’s will for her life. What raised the issue all over for her was the reality that for the past two years she has been living with unrelenting “grinding” pain. She recounts that this pain drove her back to those first days of despair and anguish. She began wrestling with old questions that she believed had been settled. She believes that God can heal – yet has not- completely paralyzed and totally dependent on others for almost every detail, she cries out to God for relief that does not come. This book is her attempt to answer those questions for herself and the reader.

She says at the conclusion of her book, that ironically as her pain finally seemly subsides, she is now faced with this new battle of cancer- which is she determined to fight. This has not shaken her belief in the Sovereignty of God and she completely trusts in Him for her future. Does this make it easy, or simple – certainly not.

She says she writes with a ‘great urgency, because her life is changing, and she wants to speak to those who are suffering in there life’. In a number of the conversations we had with her team, we heard the struggle, the awareness that things for Joni are indeed changing – that they have to and are preparing for a time when Joni is no longer with them.

The mission of Joni and friends is To communicate the Gospel and equip Christ-honoring Churches worldwide to evangelize and disciple people affected by disabilities.

For the past couple of years we have been building a global partnership with this wonderful organization, and my task was to begin discussions on how we might partner here in Ontario and in Canada in our purpose common purpose. What we are most interested is the Joni and Friends Family Retreats (check out this link http://www.joniandfriends.org/family-retreats ). Michael’s purpose in meeting with them was to deepen and strategize an existing and exciting global partnership.

It was really cool entering the front doors of the Joni and Friends ministry. The centre of the building is a water feature. In the floor of the pool are these words

“Let Justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream” Amos 5:24

Joni says…there's a chapel right in the center of the lobby and a ramp going around the chapel all the way up to the second floor. When people walk into this center, we want them to be struck with the fact that Christ is our focus and that access to Him is also what we are all about.

That statement has again challenged me deeply about our own reason for existence as a ministry.  Why are we here? Why do we do we do what we do? What sets us a part? Is Jesus the answer to these questions? I pray so. It’s easy for us I think to lose sight of the why what and how in our work- but if we lose our heart we lose the most important part of who we are.

Inside the Chapel

Joni’s book has challenged me in perhaps an unexpected way – as she writes about her battle, and wrestles with the questions of healing, suffering and pain and the real battle that she faces to keep Christ in the centre – I have found myself reflecting on us as an organization- it is no less a battle, a wrestling a struggle to do the same. We have the same tendencies and temptations to let the daily struggles and wrestling – divert our attentions, not just individually, but as teams, departments, - as an organization.

It may sound corny, unless you read it the context. Every morning, as Joni prepares for her day of work she has had the practice of saying to her caregivers as they clean, dress and care for her – “We get to work for Jesus today”. She says, strangely, this has been the gift of her pain – it has reminded her of her total dependency on Christ to get her through. She chooses to sing a hymn as she enters the building – in spite of the fact that it now too painful for her to hold the paint brush between her teeth – in spite of the person agony of realizing that she is losing the ability to do one of few things that she was able to do – draw.

Some may look at this as a simplistic statement – childish, foolish or naïve. But, on a deeper reflection, this is a statement of sheer will, strength and determination. It is of a depth of faith and conviction few have ever reached. Who of us would trade places with her for even a moment if it possible?

Folks, we get to work for Jesus today – let that not be a naïve or simplistic statement for us- but one with depth, conviction and determination to make it a reality. Let’s not let what others believe about this statement hinder us for seeing and living in the privilege of working for Jesus.

...anyway I was just thinking

Neil

Joni and Friends Family Camp – Muskegon MI – June 2010

Jill Black (from Ottawa) and I just had the privilege of spending a few days in West Michigan at the Joni and Friends family retreat. Fifty-five families (about 350 people all told) came from throughout the mid-west to attend this camp. Each of these families had two things in common. Firstly, they all had a family member or more, with a disability, and secondly, they all needed hope and refreshing. As we interacted with the families, I was deeply moved by the intensity these families constantly live with. One family I chatted with had 2 sons with Angel Man’s Syndrome and a daughter who was ‘normal’. They come every year because this week gives them the strength to get through another year. Their daughter loves coming because she can connect with other siblings, who like her, have brothers and sisters who, by the nature of their conditions, absorb the majority of the family time, energy, resources and focus. The parents love to come because they have the opportunity to connect with other families, to laugh – and cry, who ‘know’. The highlight for them is Thursday evening, when once a year, Dad and Mom go on a date – alone together. A first time family told me that this was the first time they’d have been out together alone for 10 years!

Joni and Friends, Chicago (who manages 2 of the 23 national family retreats) recruit over 100 volunteers (Short Term Missionaries – STM) for each week. These volunteers range in age from 18 to 88. They are paid $450 a week to ‘volunteer’ and many of them have been returning for many years using their work vacations to do so. The STM’s amazed us. They typically commit themselves to one family, although in some cases, they commit themselves to two or more depending on the depth of need. Some of the STM’s have been serving the same family for 5 or more years. It was moving to see the families arriving, the STM’s cheering and the families beaming and weeping as they hugged their STM.

At this retreat, the whole family is ministered to. Moms are pampered with Spa days, Dads with golf or fishing – kids with zip lines and climbing walls and so much more. I had the opportunity to sit in on a Dad’s group. Again, I was overwhelmed as these men shared their pain, disappointments, joys, guilt – and the deep impact on their marriages. Some fathers confessed to almost leaving, but because of the yearly camp and this men’s group, they’ve experienced healing and hope in the midst of unrelenting challenges. Some of the men themselves are disabled – mostly physically - and offer unique insights and encouragement, as well as their own struggles. Sadly, the reality is that there are many moms – and some dads – that are walking this road alone.

I am reminded as part of Christian Horizons that we often understand so little about the journeys – the joys – and the deep valleys. We must be slow to judge, quick to encourage – and ever gentle and compassionate regardless of the ‘moments’ encountered. We want to make sure that we are lifting, rather than adding to often an already crushing load.

Check out the video's at www.joniandfriends.org/family-retreats

Anyway I was just thinking…..



Neil