After the Diving Accident
After a diving accident at seventeen left her a quadriplegic, Joni Eareckson spent years in despair. She couldn't use her hands or legs. She contemplated suicide. She begged friends to help her end her life.
But Jesus had other plans.
Through the patient witness of Christian friends - particularly Steve Estes, a young man who studied Scripture with her - Joni slowly began to see God's purposes in her suffering. She surrendered her life to Christ in a new way, trusting Him even with the wheelchair.
Depending on Others
One unexpected instrument of grace was a dog. When Joni received her first service dog, she experienced God's provision in a tangible way. The dog could pick up dropped items, open doors, and provide companionship in her isolation.
"That dog taught me something about depending on others - and ultimately depending on God," Joni said. "I had been so self-sufficient before my accident. Now I had to receive help, from my dog, from friends, from Jesus."
The Holy Spirit used everything in Joni's life - even her disability, even a dog - to draw her closer to Jesus and teach her dependence on Him.
Thanking God for the Wheelchair
Today, Joni Eareckson Tada has ministered to millions through her art, books, radio program, and disability ministry. She has led countless people with disabilities to Jesus. She has learned to give thanks for her wheelchair because of what God has done through it.
"When life is hard, God is good. When life is good, God is good." Jesus took her tragedy and turned it into a global testimony of His sufficiency and grace.
