Foreword

Before You Begin . . .

My life is on display. Whether it’s the child studying my wheelchair, the couple in the store smiling sympathetically, or the waiter eyeing me as I use my bent spoon to eat slippery spaghetti, I’m aware that people are watching. Some watch out of pity, some out of admiration. But all watch with unspoken questions.

A front-seat passenger in an accident that almost took the lives of her whole family, Linda Barrick has watched her daughter, Jennifer, face the same thing. But this fresh-faced, beautiful teenager chooses to think that people are curious for good reasons. Like me, she knows she is called to be on display (as any Christian is)—she is exhorted to smile from the inside out, showcasing God’s strength through her physical limitations. Believe me, Jennifer does that so well. One look into her bright eyes tells you this girl’s love for Jesus is utterly unique. When she shares her happy-hearted and winsome affection for her Savior, people can’t help but watch and think, How great her God must be to inspire such joy in Him!

Jennifer does not mind being on display—she relishes it! Despite the horrible accident in which she suffered a serious head injury, Jennifer knows God is up to something big.

I have had the joy of meeting this dear family. Dad and mom, Andy and Linda, and their children, Jennifer and Josh. Their love for Jesus and each other is clearly visible. They stand strong together. I watched Jennifer on the campus of Liberty University . . . the way she speaks ever so naturally about her Lord with total strangers is truly remarkable. She discovered something special about Him while she was unconscious from her head injury, something sweet from the inner sanctum of sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings, and I confess, even I am curious about her unique and otherworldly faith.

You’ll be curious too, once you spend just a few minutes with Jennifer through the eyes of her mother on these pages—and what a story it is! John Perry, a New York Times bestselling author in his own right, has spent hours with Linda, Jennifer, and their family, as well as others who were there, carefully collecting material and crafting every detail into this most extraordinary book.

Finally, in a world that is splitting apart at the seams, we need to hear from courageous people who “fall in love with God” in the midst of terrible trials. The Barricks do that . . . and more. In these pages, you will discover a young woman and her family who are very ordinary, yet so surprising. And like me, you will think, If Linda is able to look up and trust Jesus and if Jennifer is able to overcome her limitations by the grace of God, I can too.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. And so are you. There is so much more to discover in the chapters ahead. Trust me; this book is definitely a surprising read. Miracle for Jen will inspire you, challenging your very concept of what it means to know God, as well as to trust Him. You will see the miraculous—often mysterious—way He weaves the strangest of circumstances into a life plan one wouldn’t trade for the world. Just ask Linda. Just ask Jennifer. You’ll see.

Joni Eareckson Tada

Agoura Hills, California