A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty
In this eloquent account of her current struggle with physical pain, Joni Eareckson Tada offers her perspective on divine healing, God’s purposes, and what it means to live with joy.
Over four decades ago, a diving accident left Joni a quadriplegic. Today, she faces a new battle: unrelenting pain. The ongoing urgency of this season in her life has caused Joni to return to foundational questions about suffering and God’s will.
A Place of Healing is not an ivory-tower treatise on suffering. It’s an intimate look into the life of a mature woman of God. Whether readers are enduring physical pain, financial loss, or relational grief, Joni invites them to process their suffering with her. Together, they will navigate the distance between God’s magnificent yes and heartbreaking no—and find new hope for thriving in-between.
From the Back Cover
Over four decades ago, a diving accident left Joni Eareckson Tada a quadriplegic. Since that time, she has become a beloved writer and speaker to millions. But today, Joni faces a new battle: chronic, unrelenting pain. As she writes,
Just as I said to God years ago when I was first injured, I find myself praying, Lord, I can’t live like this for the rest of my life! This ongoing urgency has forced me to look back on familiar scriptures and examine them from new angles. Does God miraculously intervene in the lives of all who pray for release from migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, cancer—or, in my case, chronic pain?
And if not, why not?
Here Joni invites you to walk with her through an intense and baffling season of her life. Her words offer not a bundle of ivory-tower theological conclusions but intimate insight from a woman on a journey—a woman who believes in healing from a God who chooses when that healing will come.
Top Highlights
“Here is what I believe: God reserves the right to heal or not … as He sees fit.” (source)
“That Jesus gets the glory, whether I jump out of my wheelchair pain free and tell people that my healing is genuine evidence of God’s awesome power … or whether I continue smiling in my chair, not in spite of my pain but because of it, knowing I’ve got lessons to learn, a character to be honed, other wounded people to identify with, a hurting world to reach with the gospel, and a suffering Savior with whom I can enjoy greater intimacy. And every bit of it genuine evidence of God’s love and grace.” (source)
“While I’m not saying God enjoys watching us struggle, His Word clearly indicates He allows wounds to prick and pierce us. But that doesn’t mean He has stopped caring. God expresses His care in different ways. As many have said so eloquently, sometimes He delivers us from the storm, and at other times He delivers us through the storm.” (source)
“Mr. Perlman smiled, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said in a soft, reverent tone, ‘You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.’” (source)
“When we glorify the name of our God, He gives us the opportunity of adding weight or significance—including adulation, respect, and honor—to His reputation. He allows us the unspeakable privilege of showcasing the brightness and splendor of His great name in our dark world.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty
- Author: Tada, Joni Eareckson
- Publisher: David C Cook
- Publication Date: 2010
- ISBN: 9780781405058
Joni Eareckson Tada is the president of Joni and Friends, an organization accelerating Christian outreach in the disability community. An acclaimed artist and the author of nearly fifty books, Joni lives with her husband in Southern California.