Joni Eareckson Tada calls suffering a “splash-over of hell.”
Few people can talk about the intensity of suffering with Joni’s authority. A tragic accident fifty years ago left her a quadriplegic in need of 24-hour care. She has also survived a stage-3 breast cancer diagnosis, the removal of a three-inch tumor, and months of chemotherapy.
So when she talks about handling suffering in a way that enriches our lives and glorifies God, we all do well to listen.
Like all of us when we suffer deep pain, Joni has asked tough questions, like, “What kind of Savior, what kind of Rescuer, what kind of Healer, what kind of Deliverer would refuse the prayer of healing from a paralytic?”
“Why won’t God remove my problem?” That’s really what we all want to know. If He’s a loving God with the power to change my situation, why won’t He?
Joni’s answer, after living with that question for so many years, is this: God may choose to erase your suffering entirely. But if not, He’ll use your pain to remove anything that stands in the way of fellowship with Him if you’ll open your heart to Him and learn to trust His way.
Suffering wakes us from whatever spiritual slumber we find ourselves in. It reminds us that we are broken and in need of redemption. It strips us to our core and bonds us to our Savior who was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).
If “suffering” describes some part of your life, I invite you to listen to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. We’re airing a recorded talk Joni gave a few years ago. Her hopeful and inspiring message will reveal the hope she’s discovered in biblical passages like 2 Corinthians 6:10, which says, “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”
Suffering may be a “splash-over of hell,” but Joni says “the splash-over of heaven is finding Jesus in your splash-over of hell.”
Peace isn’t found in bright days with no bad medical reports, no pain, or feeling comfortable and cozy because everything is going well. At least, not for long. Ultimately, finding Jesus in your suffering is what will carry you through your pain to whatever Christ has for you on the other side. That’s what I’ve experienced, and Joni testifies to that in a powerful way that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make your heart sing.
Join us for this hope-filled message on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly on your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or listen on our free phone app.
Before I close, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to become a special partner with us through our monthly “Friends of Focus on the Family” program. When you do, I’ll send you a copy of Ken and Joni Eareckson Tada book Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story as a way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. You’ll also receive member-exclusive benefits. To make your pledge, or for more information, click here or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
