By Gavin Boyle
As Joni Eareckson Tada’s paralysis has robbed her the use of her right arm, she shared the way her friend Kristen stepped in to help her out.
“Recently, I lost the use of my right arm with which I feed myself. So, two evenings a week my neighbor Kristen comes up and fixes and feeds me my meal while [husband] Ken enjoys his dinner,” Eareckson Tada shared. “It doesn’t cost her much time or effort, but who can place a value on that act of Christian kindness? And when Ken and I and Kristen say grace over our meal, I always bless the hands of my friend, my neighbor who serves us.”
Related: Joni Eareckson Tada Explains How God ‘Had a Purpose’ for Her Paralysis
While losing the use of their dominant hand would be a curse to most, Eareckson Tada sees the good in it as it has provided yet another way for the Lord to show up in her life. This has been her approach to her entire journey since becoming paralyzed after her senior year of college.
“I think, Kirk, that the devil thinks that disability is his last frontier…He’s going to make a stand against the goodness of God,” Eareckson Tada told Kirk Cameron in 2024. “He’s going to use disability as ammunition against the goodness of God, spitefully saying, ‘Look, how can God call himself good if he allows this child to be born with that birth defect? You can’t call yourself good, God.’”
“That’s what we want to change,” she continued. “That perspective. And that’s the point behind all the program services that we have to not only give physical support but spiritual hope in in the Bible and in the good news of Jesus.”
Meanwhile, God continues to use Eareckson Tada to bless those in the disability community around the world who are overlooked and underserved. The activist has not only inspired those in the community through her amazing perseverance, but she has also materially helped them, providing wheelchairs to over 200,000 people around the world – each one coming with a Bible to give their spirit an aid as well.
“You know, disability can feel like a wilderness, a wasteland of one awful hardship after another,” Eareckson Tada said at the start of last year. “But this year, Joni and Friends is doing new things. We are making a way through those hardships and blazing fresh, hope-filled paths into that wilderness of suffering. We are bringing Gospel joy and practical help to weary, worn out families around the world and we just can’t wait to get started.”
As the impact of Eareckson Tada’s accident continues to expand, it is amazing how she remains faithful to the Lord and sees His goodness in every situation, rather than allowing despair to creep into her life.
Read Next: Joni Eareckson Tada: How Tragedy Became Her Greatest Blessing
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