Sunday Evenings with Joni: Conversations About Life’s Chaos and Amazing Grace

Caring for me is something that my husband, Ken, gladly signed up to do when we married in 1982. We took our vows, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, and not once has Ken complained about my caregiving routines. But that does not make it easy. We need help.

For instance, to help me get up and sitting in a wheelchair every morning is a two-hour routine that includes range-of-motion exercises, bed bath, toileting, putting on my leg bag, support hose, binders, strapping on a corset, getting me dressed… and then, I’m lifted into a wheelchair. Next it’s brush teeth, fix hair, fix breakfast, and all the other fixes. And ‘that’s’ the abridged version! In the evening I just don’t ‘jump’ into bed – it’s the same routine as in the morning, except in reverse. Day in and day out, 365 days a year. The caregiving needs never vary, unless I become sick, and then there’s lots more involved.

But Ken and I can pray Psalm 79:8, “May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.” On many evenings and mornings we are in desperate need and in bad straits if we cannot find help. It’s why I’m so grateful to friends who come to the house, roll up their sleeves, maybe cook us a dinner, and then help me with all my go-to-bed routines. My dear friend Ruth Schleppi is one of those friends. For years, she has helped me on Sunday evenings – bringing her compassionate Dutch-personality, a sprig of flowers, a home-cooked meal, and then… Helping me to bed. As Ruth does my range-of-motion exercises, we talk about stories surrounding our week and how our husbands are faring. We share everything, including our bruised feelings, what we learned from the Bible, hurts and disappointments, or an experience that brought us closer to Christ. And true to Ruth’s style, she would write down prayer requests and highlights of our conversations.

When Ruth and her family moved back to Holland, we had to let go of our Sunday evenings together. Over the months, we have stayed in touch and earlier this year, Ruth asked if she could compose a manuscript from the things she learned during our rich and rewarding times together. We talked about it and prayed about it, and finally? Moody Press has just published Ruth’s new book, Sunday Evenings with Joni. When I read her book, it was like revisiting all those warmhearted Sunday evenings when she would click on my bedside lamp, pull up a stool, and lean on the edge of my bed with her open Bible. These were quiet, lovely, Christ-centered evenings during which we both were drawn close to each other, and closer to our Savior.

It’s my prayer that you will join Ruth and me when you read Sunday Evenings with Joni – my only regret is that you won’t be able to taste one of her Dutch recipes. But wait, I forgot! She’s included a few in her book..

—Joni Eareckson Tada