Message from Jennifer Pellish, Junior High Teacher

Each year, I have the privilege of reading JONI with my 7th graders. As familiar as I am with her story, each time I read it I am challenged anew. What an incredible testimony to the grace of God! It also reminds me that we are all called to suffering, but suffering comes in various shapes and sizes.

This passage from 2 Corinthians reminds me not only of Joni, but how we all should approach suffering: (The Message)

7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.