Joni Eareckson Tada spoke at the Billy Graham Library on Sept. 8, 2014.
Hundreds of people packed the Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, to hear Joni speak. Despite the decades of difficulty she has faced since a diving accident left her paralyzed at age 17, Joni will tell you unequivocally that God has been faithful to her at every turn.
Joni is a disabilities advocate, evangelist, author, speaker, musician and artist. Here, she checks out a picture drawn by a young woman before she was injured in an accident.
Joni poses for a photo with a young woman who looks up to her.
Library guests and volunteers of all ages wanted to capture the moment.
Joni Eareckson Tada meets James Gray. Both have been disabled for several decades. Both draw their hope from Jesus Christ.
Since she is a quadriplegic, Joni uses her mouth to sign books. When she was injured as a teenager, she was initially depressed and suicidal. “I was so sick and tired of the despair and the feelings of self pity, I cried out, ‘God, if I can’t die, show me how to live,'" Joni said. "And I’m not kidding, the next morning I woke up a different person.”
Watching and listening as Joni talks about her story and how her faith in Jesus has carried her through more than 40 years of paralysis. Her newest book, Beside Bethesda: 31 Days Toward Deeper Healing, addresses the spiritual transformation that can emerge from times of suffering and hardship.
Ken Tada and Joni Eareckson Tada have been married for 32 years. Their deep love for one another is evident to those who meet them.
Joni meets with a woman (and her little, furry friend) at the Billy Graham Library during her book signing.
