Caregiving with Grit and Grace - by Jessica Ronne (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Caring for a loved one can stretch the heartstrings and the soul in equal measure, leaving caregivers to walk a path that is exhausting, isolating, stressful, and seemingly thankless. In Caregiving with Grit and Grace, author Jessica Ronne offers solace for your journey and extends a heartfelt invitation to view your role through the lens of eternity. Learn to reframe your challenges, embrace God's ever-present faithfulness, be more present with your loved ones, and draw strength from the fellowship of suffering"--

Book Synopsis

Caregiving is holy work.

Caring for a loved one can stretch the heartstrings and the soul in equal measure, leaving caregivers to walk a path that is exhausting, isolating, stressful, and seemingly thankless.

In Caregiving with Grit and Grace, author Jessica Ronne offers solace for your journey and extends a heartfelt invitation to view your role through the lens of eternity. Learn to

• reframe your challenges,
• embrace God's ever-present faithfulness,
• be more present with your loved ones, and
• draw strength from the fellowship of suffering.

Jesus sees your labor of love--every sacrifice, every tender touch, every hard-earned sigh. Let this book remind you that with every act of devotion, you glorify God and reflect the heart of the One who cares for us all.

Review Quotes

Caregiving with Grit and Grace: 100 Days of Hope and Encouragement by Jessica Ronne is an essential companion for anyone navigating the complex journey of caregiving. Jessica offers a wealth of wisdom, a heap of hope, and a sanctuary for the soul. Whether you're wrestling with anger, seeking peace, or yearning for a sense of community, this book guides you toward embracing your role with both the fierceness of grit and the softness of grace. A truly uplifting read for anyone caring for a loved one. It reminds us that we're not alone in our struggles and joy can be found even in the most challenging circumstances.
Chuck Tate, author of 41 Will Come: Holding on When Life Gets Tough and Standing Strong until a New Day Dawns

There is a certain fellowship of suffering that befalls those in caregiving roles. Many times, we are thrust into this role unwittingly, and sometimes we choose to step into the role. But regardless of how we got there, caring for the needs of a medically complex loved one can be a long, arduous, lonely journey. Jessica Ronne is a voice that calls us out of those dark, lonely spaces and reminds us that we aren't alone. In Caregiving with Grit and Grace, Jessica points us back to the Author of life, the one who sees and knows the intricacies of the hard paths we walk. She offers hope for the caregiver, the broken and overwhelmed. We are reminded of the high calling of servitude and the goodness of God. Offered in short, daily snippets for the busy caregiver, this is the book we need as we serve our loved ones.
Kelli Stuart, bestselling author of Like a River from Its Course and The Master Craftsman

Caregiving with Grit and Grace is real, raw, and refreshing.
Karen Vick, content creator and caregiver


Jessica Ronne advocates for every bone-weary caregiver who feels like they have no more gas in the tank. She offers encouragement, hope, and grace to keep going.
Lisa Whittle, bestselling author and host of podcast Jesus Over Everything

This devotional provides so much more than one hundred days of hope and encouragement! It's the caregiver-focused guidebook that I've desperately needed all these years while struggling with worry and exhaustion, uncertain how to trust in God's love and purpose. I'm confident I will revisit this book again and again.
Laurie Hellmann, author of Welcome to My Life: A Personal ParentingJourney Through Autism and host of podcast Living the Sky Life

Caregiving with Grit and Grace was shared with me when I was in a desert season. God used these daily readings to breathe life and hope into my life. I was full of expectation that he would speak to me, give me what I needed, and encourage me, and he did. I have left the desert. Jessica Ronne invites us on her journey, sharing her struggles, pain, questions, and wrestling but also her unwavering faith, grace, and renewed hope. God seeks to meet each of us where we are, infusing our souls with hope and encouragement, especially on those tough days that feel like an integral part of our assignment.
Wibke Rees, director of Celebrate Recovery at Central Wesleyan Church

Jessica Ronne's compassionate yet honest voice expresses truths and wisdom that caregivers need but cannot utter most days. As a therapist and professional caregiver, I value this book as a lifeline of faith, humanity, empathy, and community.
Brenda L. Yoder, licensed mental health counselor, therapist, school counselor, and author of Uncomplicated: Simple Secrets for a Compelling Life

Dear caregiver, you feel alone, exhausted, frustrated, and, at times, hopeless. As you juggle the needs of others, you're left with so little time to attend to your own. God knows that. In these pages--just one a day--you'll find small bites of nourishment, perspective, and care for your heart. Turn each page and find encouragement for your soul.
Elisa Morgan, president emerita of MOPS International, speaker, cohost of radio program Discover the Word and podcast God Hears Her, and author of You Are Not Alone: 6 Affirmations from a Loving God

Heavy, burdensome, and wearying--just a few words that describe the life of a caregiver whose heart endures the day-after-day monotony with little respite. But as you read and ponder the devotions in Caregiving with Grit and Grace, you will feel the heaviness lift. Jessica reminds you that Jesus sees you wrestle with life in the trenches of selflessly caring for those who cannot care for themselves and counts your work as holy. He sees each tear and hears every silent cry. Through Jessica Ronne's heartfelt, beautiful words and stories, Jesus will encourage your heart.
Kate Battistelli, author of The God Dare: Will You Choose to Believe the Impossible? and Growing Great Kids: Partner with God to Cultivate His Purpose in Your Child's Life


This book helps caregivers feel seen in their holy work, reminding us that blessed are the ones we care for and blessed are we who do the caring.
Jillian Benfield, author of The Gift of the Unexpected: Discovering Who You Were Meant to Be When Life Goes Off Plan

Jessica's books are honest, refreshing, faith-filled, and encouraging, and Caregiving with Grit and Grace is no exception. She has, once again, created a bond with her readers, as her passion for ensuring that caregivers feel seen, encouraged, and cared for shines through every page. As a caregiver herself, Jessica recognizes the unique joys and challenges of raising a child with disabilities. Caregivers will find refreshment and renewal while they learn to lean into the holy work of caring for their loved one. It is a must-read for all those who crave God's Spirit anew while serving those he entrusted to their loving care.
Deb Stanley, founder and CEO of Transition Bridges and author of devotional series Taking Tea and The Power of Community Connectedness: Creating Lifelong Impact & Inclusion for Individuals with Disabilities

This book is a balm to every exhausted caregiver's soul. Jessica has been a caregiver for years, and she knows how lonely and exhausting it can be. She understands the heartbreak, the disappointments, and the dark and discouraging days. In this devotional, she shares truths that point us to Jesus and help us hold on to hope while walking the often-wearying road of caregiving.
Crystal Paine, New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, and caregiver


You have in your hand far more than a book--it is a sanctuary for those who do the holy work of caregiving. Not only does Jessica Ronne offer insight, wisdom, and compassion for every season of service, but her devotions also offer a safe space for both the darkest days and the moments in which hope glimmers. In these pages, there is no prescriptive language, no three-step formulas; rather, there is the voice of someone who is well-acquainted with both the fellowship of suffering and the faithfulness of God. Caregiving with Grit and Grace is a gift for both the caregiver and for those who walk the road with them. Thank you, Jessica. Thank you.
Ronne Rock, mentor, storyteller, and author of One Woman Can Change the World: Reclaiming Your God-Designed Influence and Impact Right Where You Are

This devotional sustains all those who quietly persevere in solitude and surrender. Jessica's words are a warm embrace to comfort us in the grief of our sacrifices. By her example, we, too, can receive care, knowing that we are not alone. What a glorious and desperately needed daily revelation! Because Jessica lives by the wisdom of Scripture, her words breathe life into every weary caregiver who submits to this exhausting but fulfilling calling with obedience, trust, gratitude, and hope.
Gina Kell Spehn, New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Rain, writer for The Hallmark Channel's The Color of Rain adaptation, and cofounder and president of New Day Foundation for Families Fighting Cancer

Jessica Ronne has not written a meaty manifesto on the grave art of caregiving, though she probably could have. Rather, she has served up small, nourishing truths for us caregivers--each meant to be savored in the presence of God and before the rising of the sun. The entries Jessica has penned are rich and diverse. Some are challenging, some are inspiring, and some are fodder for contemplation.
From the Foreword by Jason Hague, author of Aching Joy: Following God through the Land of Unanswered Prayer

About the Author

Jessica Ronne calls herself "the reluctant caregiver" and believes that if she were the Almighty in search of a voice for caregivers, she would not have chosen herself!

But here she is in a role that has become strangely familiar, having cared for her sick husband for three years, her profoundly disabled son for more than nineteen years, eight children, and parent caregivers worldwide through her advocacy roles. It's not a position she would have ever picked, but it's a role that she has obediently embraced.

Though she admits she may not be the most sympathetic person, Jessica is a doer and a get-'er-done-r. She earned a master's degree in education from Grand Valley State University in 2015, walking the
stage to accept the honor while seven months pregnant with her eighth child.

She is also the founder and executive director of The Lucas Project, a nonprofit serving parent caregivers with recognition, respite, and resources, and hosts Coffee with Caregivers, a podcast where she chats with caregivers about the joys and trials of raising a child with complex needs.

Drawing from her experiences as a caregiver, Jessica produced the documentary Unseen: How We're Failing Parent Caregivers & Why It Matters, which aired on PBS in 2023. She is the creator of Hope Farm, a residential home for disabled adults, and author of Sunlight Burning at Midnight, Blended with Grit and Grace, Lovin' with Grit & Grace, and Caregiving with Grit and Grace.

Jessica believes that faithful obedience is what we are called to do on this side of eternity, and as long as she remains faithful, the Lord will provide. She and her husband, Ryan, reside in Holland, Michigan, with their children.