Sacrificial Love and Long-Term Care: Living Out Christ’s Example
My friend Larry lived for over 40 years with quadriplegia. He had come to Christ shortly after his accident and his wife was able to take good care of him, bless her heart. But about ten years ago, she suddenly passed away—leaving Larry without his life partner and his caregiver. He wasn’t able to stay in their apartment alone, he couldn’t afford caregivers from agencies, and he had no children to take him in.
Larry is a great example of the tremendous need for long-term care support in our country. And there are thousands like him—alone and desperate for help.
What happens to people like Larry? You don’t have to be a quadriplegic in a wheelchair for this to apply to you. You and your spouse could be doing fine—in good health with a savings account and a circle of friends. And then, before you know it, you’re in your late 70s with a serious injury. That’s when most people start thinking about long-term care… when it’s too late.
Or you could have an adult child with an intellectual disability. Approximately eight million people with disabilities under the age of 65 receive some sort of assistance, but it does not generally cover long-term support services.
So if you are the parent of a child with a disability, start planning early for their long-term needs. And when I say early, I mean while they are still young children. It gives you a chance to learn about residential services and what they cost. And you certainly want to plan for your adult child’s long-term care before you age and need help yourself.
Psalm 90:12 says,
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
It takes wisdom to foresee that time when either you will need lengthy care, or your disabled adult child will. Caregiving agencies are expensive and so are residential facilities. But like the Bible says, there is safety in an abundance of counselors.
And believe me, there are many good Christian counselors in wealth management groups. Whether you are advised to invest in long-term care insurance, tap into your savings, a pension or other retirement or investment income, it’s a delicate balance (safeguarding not only your disabled child’s future, but your own, as well).
Speaking of the future… you might be wondering what happened to Larry. Was he forced to go into a county nursing home? That’s often where many adults with disabilities have to live. And I feel, well… I feel that just shouldn’t be.
Larry was fortunate. He held fast to hope and to Psalm 68:6 which says,
“God sets the lonely in families.”
And that’s exactly what happened to my quadriplegic friend. A Mennonite family had great compassion on him and—praise the Lord—as an act of true Christian service, that family invited Larry to live with them. They provided the care he needed.
This, friend, is what God means when he speaks of setting those who have no place else to live in a family. Yes, it’s costly to demonstrate that kind of sacrificial love, but it is so like Christ and the sacrificial love he showed us. (By the way, not long ago, Larry went home to be with Jesus. The family he lived with misses him dearly.)
Why not ask God if you can make a difference in someone’s life? It could be radical—it would be sacrificial. But God considers sacrificial service normal Christian service. Proverbs 19:17 says,
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
God is so generous, and he loves it when we pass on his generosity to others in need. Others like Larry. The need is big, friend—but not as big as our God.
-Joni Eareckson Tada
Care for Caregivers
After years of caring for her mother with multiple sclerosis (MS) Rebekah founded the Caregiving Support Network to provide caregivers with Christ-centered respite, community, and encouragement. She joins the podcast to offer help and hope to caregivers, and the communities called to support them.
