The year was 1967 and a young 17 year-old teenager named Joni was out having fun with her friends. While swimming she dove into a lake and misjudged how shallow it really was. As a result, she broke her neck, paralyzing her body from the neck down. As a quadriplegic Joni felt that her life was over and she struggled that first year, during a period of intense rehabilitation, with suicidal thoughts, major depression, and with God.
Joni just couldn’t understand why the God of love, who she heard about growing up in her Sunday School classes, would allow her to suffer so much. She, for a long time during her rehabilitation, had a clenched fist toward God. But one day God sent a friend called Steve to minister to her and after this momentous encounter Joni rather than approaching God with a clenched fist began to come to God with a searching heart; and finally, a breakthrough happened.
Joni shared the following conversation with Steve, that I think many of us have had with God when tragedy strikes: “I just don’t get it! I trusted God before my accident. I wasn’t a bad person. This possibly couldn’t be a punishment for any sin that I’ve done. At least, I hope not. I don’t get it, Steve? If God is supposed to be all loving and all powerful, then how, what has happened to me, be a demonstration of His love and power? Because, Steve, if He’s all powerful, then surely He should have been powerful enough to stop my accident from happening? If He’s all loving then how in the world can permanent and lifelong paralysis be a part of His loving plan for my life? I just don’t get it! Unless I find some answers, I don’t see how this all loving and all powerful God is worthy of my trust and confidence.”1
Fortunately, Steve told Joni that now that she had a searching heart God would be able to help her see that her accident had some powerful parallels with the cross of Calvary. While Steve couldn’t specifically tell Joni, how God was going to use her paralysis in a unique and special way, he knew that God would, if only Joni would be open to the move of God. Steve shared with Joni that God took the worst possible thing that could happen – Jesus’ death on a cross – and turned it into the best possible thing – our salvation! And if God could do that, He could use Joni’s accident for good too.
Slowly Joni began to see the parallel between how God used Jesus’ death for good with her own tragedy. Slowly thoughts of suicide changed to thoughts of living. Depression changed to joy in understanding that one day she would be healed in heaven – her true home. And a life of no meaning began to be filled with a divine purpose.
Fast forward to today and Joni is now 71 years-old and I would briefly like to share what has gone on in her life from 1967, the year of her accident, to 2021. Joni, before her accident was a gifted artist. Since then, she has learned to paint and sketch with a pen and brush in her mouth beautiful pictures that have been seen worldwide. In 1982, she married the love of her life, Ken Tada. She has written over 30 books on suffering and life. She stared in a major motion picture about her life story. She has become a sought after motivational speaker throughout the world. And perhaps her greatest achievement was starting a worldwide ministry to the handicapped and disabled called Joni and Friends. This ministry shares the love of Christ with millions as well as providing many social services such as wheelchairs to those around the world who can’t walk.
To me Joni exemplifies how someone can turn tragedy into triumph, sorrow into joy, and death into life. Sure, we know that God is a miracle working God but He chose to leave Joni paralyzed so she could become an inspiration to millions of handicapped individuals around the world. She is one of my heroes, because she allowed God to use her disability to advance the kingdom of God here on earth. And I know that her prayer for healing will someday be answered on the other side of eternity when she gets her glorified body.
Can God still heal her today – sure He can – but if He doesn’t Joni is content to wait and in the meantime praise God for how He has used her in so many marvelous ways. I know that Joni is excited knowing that one day when we get to heaven all things will become glorious. Until then I pray that we can all learn from Joni that when tragedy strikes, God can work a positive good not only for ourselves, but glory for Him. My friends stay encouraged because no matter how difficult things can get, God has your back.