[Faith-talk] Fw: (Tafn-beliefs) DAILY DEVOTION

[Paul]

Hello to all my fellow readers out there.  Today I'm turning the podium over, so to speak, to my good friend John Hosh from the UK who will give you the Daily Thought message.  It's not that I don't have anything, but from time to time I just like to give others opportunity to share things with you.  Thanks to John and the Room For Your Beliefs on TAFN, the Total Accessible Friends Network, a UK-based charity for the blind, for this info.  Lord willing tomorrow will give you something else from my collection of worthwhile reading.  Paul
----- Original Message ----- 
From: John Hosch at TAFN 
To: roomforyourbeliefs at googlegroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2014 2:35 AM
Subject: (Tafn-beliefs) DAILY DEVOTION


DAILY DEVOTION

This is from Joni Eareckson Tada:

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends."

You've probably heard me mention that, this year, Joni and Friends is
celebrating 35 years of ministry to people with disabilities and their
families. But 2014 marks another significant anniversary. It was 50 years
ago that I opened my heart to Jesus Christ at a weekend retreat and began
this incredible adventure of following my Lord and Savior. I was only 15
years old at the time, and never-never ever-could I have imagined that most
of the rest of my life would be lived as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair,
because just about 3 years later, in 1967, after I prayed to receive Jesus,
I broke my neck in a diving accident. I cannot begin to describe the horror
and the depression that absolutely overwhelmed me. Thankfully, many of those
same Christian friends who were with me at that weekend retreat were the
ones who stuck by me while I was in the hospital. Their love for me, and
their love for the Word of God, is what eventually lifted the depression and
softened my heart toward God.

Sometime after that accident-oh, maybe five or so years later-after my trust
in Christ began growing I wrote a poem. At the time, I didn't think it was
that special, but the other day, as I was reminiscing about this anniversary
of knowing Jesus for 50 years, I re-read it, and, oh, did it touch my heart.
So much so, that I thought I would share it with you today. So, okay, this
is what I wrote when I was in my 20s and still rather new to my wheelchair:

WHEN PRETTY THINGS GET BROKEN


Fragile things do slip and fall as everybody knows,
 And when my vase came crashing down those tears began to flow.
 But don't we all cry when pretty things get broken?
 Don't we all sigh at such an awful loss?
 But Jesus will dry those tears as He has spoken,
'Cause He was the One broken on the cross.

 My life was just like china, a lovely thing to me,
Full of porcelain promises of all that I might be. 
 I have a piece of china, a lovely porcelain vase,
 It holds such lovely flowers, captures everybody's gaze.

 But fragile things do slip and fall as everybody knows.
 And when my life came crashing down those tears began to flow.
 But don't we all cry when pretty things get broken?
 Don't we all sigh at such an awful loss?
 But Jesus will dry those tears as He has spoken,
'Cause He was the One broken on the cross.

 Now Jesus is no porcelain Prince, His promises won't break.
 His Holy Word holds fast and sure, His love no one can shake.
 So if your life is shattered by sorrow, pain or sin,
 His healing love will reach right down and make you whole again.

Well, that's my poem and I wrote it in my 20's (I can't believe it). I hope
you were blessed by the words. I don't pretend to be a poet, and I don't
write verse very often, but this particular one, I think, expresses exactly
what God was doing in my heart those early years when I was still adjusting
to my wheelchair. Friend, I'd love to share this poem with you. You can go
to my radio page at joniandfriends.org and download it or print off a copy.
Share it with a friend who is experiencing brokenness right now. And when
you give them the poem, tell them I resonate. I understand their heartache,
their difficulties, 'cause when your life is shattered by sorrow, pain or
sin, I tell you his healing love will reach right down and make you whole
again. Oh, and while you're on my radio page, take a look at a brief video
of my testimony and share it with your Facebook friends who are needing
encouragement. It'll be one way you can celebrate with me on this, my most
remarkable and personal anniversary of knowing Jesus for (wow!) half a
century.


    John Hosch


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