Your church will never top the service ours had this Sunday.

I attend what many would consider and old-school church. We don’t have a band making as much noise as they can to get anybody’s adrenalin pumping. This Sunday we sang hymns from a hymnal with an organ and a piano. Okay, our pipe organ is quite possibly the best one in the whole world, but that’s beside the point. We’re definitely traditional in our worship by anybody’s standard.

On a typical Sunday morning the sermon takes up the bulk of the time during our worship. But, not this past Sunday. This Sunday was special in more ways than one.

Our pastor interviewed a woman in a wheelchair instead of expositing the Word.

About now many of you are thinking I’ve lost my mind. I’m pretty sure that’s been well established many blog posts ago. Stick with me here.

How many of you would love to sit through 45 minutes of Chuck Swindoll interviewing Joni Eareckson Tada?

You see. I told you your church won’t be able to top our church service this past Sunday.

This rare opportunity has been several decades in the making because of the bond those two spiritual giants have built from meeting at several events together.

The topics they covered brought as much laughter as they did tears. At least from me because of the rough roads I’ve traversed lately.

Joni couldn’t help but talk about going to heaven someday. She says she’s going to pole vault over the pearly gates.

She also wishes she can bring her wheelchair with her. She wants to thank Jesus personally for bringing it into her life because of how much closer to Him it brought her in this life.

She said at that point she’ll point at the chair and say, “now You can send that thing to hell.”

[Tweet “I never thought I could laugh and cry at the same time. But this Sunday I did.”]

It doesn’t take a wheelchair to build a close relationship with God. But it does take commitment.

It doesn’t take constant dependence on others to build humility. But it does take vulnerability.

It doesn’t take a life-altering event to force you to look up for hope. But it does take trust.

You don’t need to have many of your freedoms taken away to experience God’s presence. But you do need time.

You don’t need to let the sting of rejection from others control your destiny. But you do need a proper destination.

You don’t need to be forced to sit in one place all day to develop focus. But you do need the proper object.

Your happiness shouldn’t be the main goal in life. God’s kingdom should be.

Your comfort shouldn’t be the focus of your prayer life. God’s plan should be.

Your desires shouldn’t rule your every waking thought. God’s will should.

If you’re struggling to make sense of your life don’t talk to your BFF. Read God’s Word.

If you’re working too hard to get everything in your life to fit together. Give it to Jesus.

If you’re crushed by life’s demands and stress on your soul. Laugh out loud.

God knows what He’s doing with your life. You don’t have to love the process. Just trust the One in charge of it all.

 

Keep smiling.   Wade

By wadewebster

I'm a truck driver turned writer. My writing drives people to Jesus. I love sunsets/sunrises, dark chocolate, coffee, cats and dogs (as long as their owners pick up after them) and solitude. My relationship with God through Jesus Christ is most important to me, not a religion. This writing gig is all God's idea. I only wish to bring more attention to Jesus with it.

6 comments

  1. Thanks Wade…I believe you have, with your typical well crafted writng, the esscense of the service yesterday. She indeed “owns her story,” but captures the heart of THE story,…and therefore our story too, Thanks brother

    1. Thanks Steve
      Joni is such a remarkable woman, as we all should strive to be, remarkable that is. God has each of us on an incredible journey. The extent of our reach may differ, but not the impact.

  2. Yep, you’re right. They would be a hard act to follow, especially with their life experiences in walking with the Lord Jesus through all the really tuff stuff. I’ve listened to Chuck Swindoll for more years than I care to admit. His preaching and the Word and Spirit of God brought me through some mighty difficult times.

    Thanks for sharing, Wade!

    DiAne

    1. I know what you mean about listening to Chuck for a long time. When we decided to move here I told my wife, “I know where we’re going to church.” Throwing Joni in the mix was icing on the spiritual cake…pure magic.

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