Encouraging Caregivers
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and it’s Family Caregiver Month.
Now, when I say that, you usually think of a mom and a dad taking care of their disabled child; or maybe a husband caring for his wife in a wheelchair; or perhaps a family taking care of their grandmother who struggles with dementia. But caregiving goes far beyond those examples. Take Janet, who is a single mother in her 30s, raising two teenagers, Jasmine and Josiah. Not long ago, Janet was severely injured in a car accident, and it left her with a debilitating spinal cord injury. She’s now a paraplegic and has to get around her house in a wheelchair. Janet’s new to all this, and so, she’s constantly struggling to make adjustments, just to get through the day. Doing simple things like shopping, running errands, doing laundry, making meals, house-cleaning – all this stuff is just so much more challenging when you have to do it from a wheelchair. Life for Janet is not easy.
But! This is where her two teenagers, Jasmine and Josiah, make the caregiving difference. Yep, these two help their mother with her primary care, even though both are in school. And I love it that these two have such great attitudes through it all. The kids are helping with the laundry; with house cleaning; and they’re making it all work. And, yes, it’s an awkward, difficult season for everybody, but despite Janet’s daily challenges, she so appreciates her children – and they appreciate her appreciation. Jasmine and Josiah may be young, but they recognize courage when they see it. They are inspired by their mother as she holds fast to Christ, who makes everyone’s hardships a little lighter.
So, it is an unusual family caregiving situation, but Janet knows that God makes no mistakes. She has been helped by my books that talk about the sufficiency of God’s grace and how He is sovereign over all our problems. And thankfully, Joni and Friends is able to cheer on Janet and her kids. So, on this Family Caregivers Month, keep Janet in your prayers, would you? As well as her teenaged children. The commandment to “honor your father and your mother” appears often, not only in the Old Testament, but in the New. And I love it that Josiah and Jasmine are honoring their mother who has so many special needs.
You know, you may know a family member who’s serving as a caregiver. And I would love to send you our booklet called “For Better or Worse.” Because a family isn’t simply a group of individuals under a social contract to each other; no, no, no. The family is ordained by God to serve one another; be committed to each other; help each other for better, for worse, in sickness and in health. If you have a family in your church who are practicing caregiving, or if you are aware of such a family in your neighborhood, then I’d like to encourage them. My husband has written a great little booklet, again called “For Better or Worse” and you can get your free copy today just by visiting joniradio.org. Because whether it is two teenagers taking care of their disabled mother, or a husband like, well, like Ken taking care of a disabled woman like me, with all my toileting routines, and get up and get down routines; with all my exercises and ordering medical supplies; with all the many times he’s gotta wipe my nose even; oh, my goodness, I tell ya what, he needs encouragement. Every caregiver requires encouragement; they need guidance; they need help. So, give them that today, would you? Visit joniradio.org and ask for your free gift, “For Better or Worse.” When you do, you’ll be giving a boost to the caregivers that you know in your neighborhood and your church, or maybe even in your own family.
© Joni and Friends
For Better or Worse
Disability presents unique challenges and pressures in even the best of marriages. Ken Tada, married to Joni Eareckson Tada for more than 37 years, shares how disability is an invitation for you and your spouse to depend on Jesus in your weakness and grow closer to each other than you ever thought possible.
