Thanks a lot! I mean it, do a lot of thanking. Quote of the Day 11/7/26

"As a matter of fact, God isn't asking you to be thankful. He's asking you to give thanks. There's a big difference. One response involves emotions, the other your choices, your decisions about a situation, your intent, your 'step of faith.'”

Joni Eareckson Tada

I’ve been thinking a lot about Joni since listening to her on last week’s Not Dead Yet podcast (hosted by Ben Sasse).

If you don’t know Joni’s story, at seventeen she was paralyzed from the shoulders down in a diving accident. She had been an athlete, loved track, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, almost anything that kept her active. And in a few moments, that was all taken away.

Though a Christian, she considered suicide, although her physical state made that option quite difficult.

She had many friends, quite a few from her church. Most came through quoting Bible verses, which weren’t always well received, especially I Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” That one was tough.

But someone explained to her that the verse didn’t ask her to say, “Thank you, God, that I’m a cripple.” That would be like telling someone, “Be happy!” Thankful feelings can't be conjured on demand, but asking someone to “give thanks” is different.

So Joni began a search for things to which she could give thanks. “Thank you, God, that my bed is near the window”. “Thank you, God, that my side of the hospital gets fed breakfast first.”

An amazing thing happened. After a few months of giving thanks, Joni found that she began to notice a sincerely thankful heart and spirit.

Joni’s diving accident in the Chesapeake Bay was almost sixty years ago. Since that time – and her initial stay in the hospital – Joni has accomplished a few things.

She wrote a bestselling autobiography which became a movie. She then starred in the movie. President Reagan appointed her to the committee that wrote the Americans with Disabilities Act.

She founded an organization that provides help and offers encouragement to individuals and families around the world dealing with a variety of disabilities. Joni and Friends provides wheelchairs around the globe, sponsors camps for families with a member who has disabilities, educates churches on how they can care for people with disabilities, and offers several other vital services.

She married Ken Tada in 1982, and they are still married. She learned to do art by holding pencils, pens, and brushes in her teeth. She continues to live a full life because she learned to live in gratitude.

As a conservative, I’ve been in a lousy mood because of recent election results. As a human being, I have many things to complain about. But I know I need to follow Joni’s example and give thanks. I have so much to be thankful for, and I know I’ll be all the richer for acknowledging that.