A Letter from Joni
A Letter from Joni
Dear Beyond Suffering Friend,
And I can call you my friend because we already have much in common—anyone who picks up an edition of God’s Word titled Beyond Suffering surely must have a heart to understand the Lord’s hand in hardship.
Perhaps you were drawn to this special edition because you are a caregiver to someone who has a disability. You could be a pastor or Christian leader, a student, a missionary, a nurse, or an individual who is simply curious as to what the Bible says on the subject of suffering. You may even be dealing with a serious disabling condition yourself, and you are wrestling with deep questions. Whatever the reason, I have a feeling you are well-acquainted with affliction. It’s why I am so glad you are holding the Beyond Suffering Bible in your hands.
Suffering always prompts heart-wrenching questions: If God is good, why would he allow this pain in my life? Is God truly sovereign over accidents and birth anomalies, or does the devil set the world’s agenda? How do I counsel people who are despairing of their condition? What are the right choices when it comes to assisted suicide and other tough ethical issues? For that matter, where does a person who is struggling with a life-altering accident or illness find peace of mind and a purpose for living?
The answers to all these questions are found in the Word of God. Since the beginning of the human race, those who are acquainted with suffering have looked to the character of God to find justice, seek insight, discover purpose, and gain strength and hope to carry on. If we are to fully grasp what suffering is and what we must do with it, we must spend time digging into God’s Word.
This is the journey I began shortly after the 1967 diving accident in which I became paralyzed. When I learned that my quadriplegia was permanent, I sank into a deep depression. After I went home from the hospital, my depression evolved into suicidal despair. Every morning for nearly two weeks, I would stay in bed, tell my sister to close the drapes, turn out the lights, and shut my bedroom door.
I hated being paralyzed, but I also hated the suffocation of self-pity. I realized that I could not really live with such hopelessness—none of us can. I finally cried out, “Oh, God, if I cannot die, then please show me how to live!” My prayer was short, but the Holy Spirit heard me.
The next morning, I got out of bed and decided to face life. My sister pushed me in my wheelchair under a music stand on which she set my Bible. Clenching a mouth stick between my teeth, I began turning the pages of God’s Word. I knew that it contained answers for my plight; I just didn’t know where to look. Thankfully, God brought wise Christian friends alongside me who helped me discover his life-transforming precepts. I found living bread for my hungry soul, and I’ve never been the same since.
It’s now my heart’s desire to help people who struggle as I once did. I want to be that “wise Christian friend” who comes alongside them and provides guidance. Thankfully, the team at Joni and Friends’ Christian Institute on Disability has caught that same vision.
This is why I am so excited about the Beyond Suffering Bible. It is designed to help the reader—especially those affected by disability—grasp the goodness of God amid critical questions about suffering.
This special edition of God’s Word delves into doctrines of God’s sovereignty, our salvation, heaven, and hell. It also explores common questions relating to miraculous healing, such as: Why does God heal some and not others? What about sensitive ethical issues relating to disability, such as stem cell research and so-called “death with dignity”? What help is there for caregivers? And what about parenting children with special needs? How can the church learn to embrace more special-needs families and equip more people with disabilities to have leadership roles?
Most people wish they could erase suffering from the world entirely. In today’s culture of comfort and instant gratification, there is no patience for suffering. Most people try to numb it by drugs, escape, divorce—they will do anything but live with it. Yet suffering may well be God’s choicest tool in shaping the character of Christ in us. As I have heard and often say, “God permits what he hates to accomplish that which he loves.”
That little statement is just a small taste of what you can expect as you begin delving into the Beyond Suffering Bible. You will not find a better, more comprehensive resource for understanding affliction and how God uses it for our good and his glory. I’m convinced the Lord will use this creative edition of the Word of God to not only change a person’s perspective on disability but also change the perspectives of their family, their community, and finally, the culture.
And as you read, also know that you are prayed for. We are praying for you as you read and study. For I see you as a change agent, someone who God will use to help others around you begin to grasp the goodness of God in a world of hurt. I envision you as an agent of God’s mercy to those who are afflicted, imparting hope and offering help. And as you study the Beyond Suffering Bible, I know that you will be God’s best ambassador for his gospel, shining his light into a dark world filled with pain and disappointment. After all, the Bible is filled with life-giving words of joy, hope, mercy, and grace. Once God grips your heart with his purposes in suffering, you can’t help but pass on the blessing to the world’s neediest.
Before I close, I want to extend my personal thanks to our Christian Institute on Disability (CID) team who have worked diligently on this Bible, especially Steve Bundy, vice president of the CID, and Pat Verbal, senior manager of curriculum development. Steve and Pat are intimately acquainted with significant disability in their families—no wonder they and their team have poured their heart and soul into this effort! Also, I give my heartfelt thanks to Tyndale House Publishers, who caught our vision for a Bible that speaks directly to the hardship of handicapping conditions.
I hope you can tell how thrilled I am about the Beyond Suffering Bible. When it comes to great commentary and resources on suffering, there’s nothing else like it! Most of all, the Beyond Suffering Bible exalts God as preeminent and supreme over every disease and disability. It showcases the righteousness and mercy of God on behalf of those who struggle under the weight of illness, poverty, and injustice. It will help you go beyond suffering so you, too, can say, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” ().
Joni Eareckson Tada
JONI AND FRIENDS
INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY CENTER
AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA