Rigney Ministries

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn

A couple nights ago, I heard a portion of an interview with Joni Eareckson Tada, who has been a quadriplegic for the last 40 years. She was talking about dependency, humility, and acceptance of the things God allows into our lives that ‘help’ us resist pride (i.e. force us to be humble).

She said that some mornings (more often now that she is struggling with the mid-life thing) she feels that she has NO energy to do the day, no energy to even start the day, especially knowing that everything she attempts to do takes far more effort for her than it does for others. But she said she has learned anew, because of those days, that dependence on God is how He really does want us to live. She said she has learned to pray like this…

God, I feel awful! I don’t have the energy to face today. I don’t even want to get out of bed, because I am already overwhelmed with what lies before me today … but in a moment, my girlfriend/helper will be coming into my room to dress me and brush my teeth and fix my hair and do the uncharming things that are necessary to get me ready for the day, and she needs to see a smile on my face before she gets started … but I need You to put it there, because today, I don’t feel like I can do it.

She also said that she has come to realize that maybe being a quadriplegic is a better way to live, because it forces her to be dependent on God … and pride doesn’t have nearly as much room to take root. She said sometimes she thinks that ‘whole’ people are less blessed, because they get up and hustle out the door, never stopping to ask for the strength of the Lord … yet He has SO much to offer those who will ask.

Joni’s insight challenged me to give more thought to how dependent I am on God. It reminded me that when Jesus taught us to pray, He said we should ask for ‘daily’ bread. I think that was to remind us to be humble and dependent on God daily, so that pride has no chance of taking root.

On His Exciting Journey,