Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Shana: This is Shana on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope.

Joni, I am glad you have Ken in the studio to help celebrate your 44th wedding anniversary today. Congratulations. Now, a lot of Bible verses have been shared on this program, but Ken, if you were to pick one that best describes your marriage, what would it be?

Ken Tada: Well Shana, I think I would pick 1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another.” It's what Joni and I have learned to do all these years we've been together. We serve each other.

Joni Eareckson Tada: And I should add that Ken Tada does most of the serving as my caregiver. Now, I have other helpers, some women from my church and the like, but my husband is the air traffic controller, as it were. He takes the main responsibility in helping with my quadriplegia and pain and the lung problems. Ken, you describe what it's like.

Ken Tada: Sometimes it's hard, but I took those vows seriously when we said for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. God called me to take care of you, Joni, and that's what I'm trying to do.

Joni Eareckson Tada: I'm grateful for your help, Ken, but Shana, you should also know that Ken helps me to go to bed at night. He works the Hoyer lift that lifts me into bed. He prepares meals and he feeds them to me. He always insists on being the one to take me to medical appointments.

Ken Tada: I order and pick up your medications and clean all the urological equipment. I help with toileting routines. Joni's nebulizing machine just broke down, and that's got to be fixed.

Joni Eareckson Tada: Not to mention a wheelchair that needs to be charged and serviced and fixed. Taking care of our adapted van, you do that too, especially when it breaks down, the lift. And of course, Ken, you do all the shopping.

Ken Tada: Joni, you and I have learned in our caregiving experience some things that might help other caregivers.

Joni Eareckson Tada: Especially if it is your spouse you're caring for, like always expressing appreciation for each other, respecting each other, never go to sleep angry, learn to pray together even if it feels awkward at first, and find a Bible reading plan that you can do together. It is so needful that you and your spouse build a relationship around the word of God.

Ken Tada: You know, Joni and I have invited our church into our lives.

Joni Eareckson Tada: That's right. We receive a lot of practical help from friends at church, and that means that it is important that caregiving families ask for help. It's another one of those awkward things, but it opens the door. It sure is nice to have visitors from church, but families like yours and mine, Ken, we need respite.

Ken Tada: And Joni, we both know that caregiving is really, really demanding. I think it's good to always be respectful of each other. We found that out when we do these things. It's like Ephesians 4:16, where it says that the body grows when each part is working properly. Joni, we just have to work together to make our marriage work.

Joni Eareckson Tada: And that's what makes today a very happy wedding anniversary.

Ken Tada: I love celebrating our anniversary because I love you so much.

Shana: Oh, let me add my happy anniversary to both of you today. For all our listeners who are serving as caregivers, Ken Tada has written an excellent booklet called For Better or Worse, and he would like to send it to you today. So just go to joniradio.org and ask for your free copy.

Listening friend, we want to pray for you. Go to joniradio.org today and leave us your prayer request. While you're there, check out the many resources and radio programs there at your fingertips. And be sure to share that link with a friend in need of encouragement too. It's joniradio.org.