News of this book has hit the UK press and TV media and I am not surprised. It is a moving account of what happened when Rob and his wife Dianne invited a young man into their home whom they had met in Sunday School years before. He was called Ronnie. The short stay morphed into a long stay and the book charts the journey they took together as Ronnie stayed for 45 years. Ronnie had a learning disability and had been brought up in care homes.
Rob is a great raconteur and in this well-written book we learn about the power of love and care to transform a life. We learn about the practical faith of Rob and Dianne, a little bit about them, and how they established the charity Care For The Family. Ronnie’s story has pathos, fun and joy. With the support of Rob and Dianne, Ronnie got a job at which he excelled and had voluntary roles in charities as well as helping neighbours in practical ways. Ronnie was never patronised, he was loved and accepted, and was enabled to contribute to the family and his community. The book is not overtly spiritual, though God is there in the background. At Ronnie’s funeral the text in Matthew 25:34-40 ‘Whatever you did to the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me’ was referred to and this book is a case study to illustrate that passage. Get a cup of tea (which Ronnie loved to try and make) and a box of tissues and prepare to be humbled.
