Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni

Joni Eareckson Tada is a persevering, faithful, compassionate, and joyful woman. When she was only seventeen, Joni dove into Chesapeake Bay breaking her back. Left a quadriplegic, the teenager became depressed and lived in severe pain. Joni had two years of rehabilitation and went through multiple surgeries. During this difficult time, the despondent girl wanted her life to be taken away. The disabled teenager asked her friends to help her end her life, but God had other ideas. Moving to California only four years after her accident, Joni there met Ken Tada, whom she married on July 3, 1982.

Taking her mind off her own difficulties, Joni focuses on others with even greater needs. Mrs. Tada founded Joni and Friends to encourage Christians around the world to help the disabled. Her radio program is a broadcast airing five minutes every weekday on 530 stations across the world. The center tries to meet the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of a disabled person, a family member, or a friend in practical ways. Joni and Friends teams provide church training and education to help include people with disabilities. Joni is truly an unselfish, loving, and cheerful advocate for the disabled.

Joni Tada is my hero because she has kept her faith in Jesus Christ through her times of trouble. The quadriplegic continually uses her gifts for God’s glory. Although handicapped, this amazing woman taught herself how to paint by holding the brush in her mouth and continues to share her artistic talent by selling her art work. Mrs. Tada also uses her gift of public speaking to magnify God’s power made perfect in her weakness. Instead of absorbing herself in her own comfort and needs, Joni uses her time to help others. Suffering has made Joni more sensitive to people who are hurting. I had the privilege of hearing her speak last month, and she impressed me with her beaming smile and her light-hearted jokes in spite of how much pain and fatigue she experiences on a daily basis. Joni Eareckson Tada’s infectious joy and resolute faith have provided hope for thousands who find themselves faced with life’s crippling blows.