Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Our daily routine includes breathing treatments in the morning and at night. I have to sit right beside my son to ensure the mask stays in place. He sometimes yawns or moves and it'll end up on his forehead or chin... lol Not effective. So, I have to stay close to make sure he gets the medicine properly. Yesterday, I decided to grab my guitar and sit nearby so I could play a little since I can't do much except watch him for 16 loooong minutes. I pulled the bar stool over to his bedside and just started playing and singing. (poor guy! lol) As I went through some older worship songs I realized that God's holiness hadn't changed a bit. These older songs about His holiness, His love, His grace, mercy, and the cross are still relevant. It was quite calming to realize that God didn't lose anything when I became a caregiver. His grace didn't start leaking out and His mercy didn't run out. I thought, He is still holy. My circumstances don't dictate or change His

  Tired and sleepy are not the same thing. Some evenings, I am exhausted, but not sleepy. I don't like that combination, because my brain is still running 100 miles per hour but my body says, no. It's totally unproductive. But when I am tired and sleepy, I am totally useless. My body is down for the count and it will not rise until it has to, if I'm lucky enough for a quiet moment. Yesterday, we talked about how God never sleeps. He watches over our souls constantly and intently. He's intimately connected to us and is invested in our care. But He also doesn't get tired of doing it. I can imagine not getting sleepy - I actually have a love-hate relationship with sleep. I do NOT like wasting the time, but my body insists. Lol. God doesn't get sleepy or tired! Psalm 121:4 says the One who watches over us will not sleep and will not get tired.  He loves to watch over His children and never gets tired of doing it. In Isaiah 40:28 the prophet reminds us that God never

 I've heard it said that Chicago is the town that never sleeps. That's where I was living when my son had his accident and I had to fly out of O'Hare back to Louisiana to be with him. I can agree that the town never sleeps, there is always something going on no matter what time of day or night. One of my friends said I loved Chicago so much because for the first time in my life I lived in a city that had as much energy as me. Lol. I have no argument.  In the second part of Psalm 121:3, the psalmist says that the One who watches over us doesn't sleep. As a parent, I can relate in that I loved to watch my babies sleep. Chris is 40 now, and I still offer up a huge sigh of contentment when I see he is resting well. I'm pretty sure God watches us while we sleep too - and He watches when we don't get the benefit of sleeping. Can my caregiver friends relate? Raise a hand! In my vivid imagination, I think God is hovering over me while I'm snoozing. Maybe, just maybe

  When I find a scripture that speaks particularly loud to me - I camp there. So, we are still in Psalm 121 today and will be for a few more days. I've read it several times since I wrote yesterday's post. Lol. The first part of verse 3 kind of stumped me, though. The psalmist says He (the One who made heaven and earth - the One who keeps us) will not let you stumble and fall...  I had to think about that a bit. I feel like I fall a lot and stumble even more lately. Caregiving takes its toll and it's easy to get swept away underneath the load. But eventually, I reach my hand out of the dark abyss my soul is in to find that God's hand is already in place to pull me right out of the mess. I don't think this verse means we never mess up. I don't think it means we don't ever get swept away in emotions, decisions, or other aspects caregiving may bring up. It does mean that God will not let them overcome us and keep us down. Proverbs 24:16 says that the righteous

They say that hindsight is 20/20. When we look back on things we've done or experienced it is so clear what we should  have done or what we could have done. That's not really a negative, it's just one of those things in life that happens. Sometimes we just can't see clearly enough until time has distanced us from the situation and our emotions.  Afterthought can be a powerful positive, too. We often think that the afterthought  has a negative connotation. But I'm thinking that an afterthought can be powerful. It can catapult us into the next victory - even if it came out of a negative experience. Right now, I'm thinking an afterthought may just be an exclamation point on the end of an experience. In Psalm 121:2, the writer says this. My help comes from the Lord ... I'm pretty sure none of us have an argument against that. As caregivers, we rarely do what we do in our own strength, because quite frankly, it ran out a long time ago. Last week, we talked about

  For those who are acting as caregivers to loved ones with health issues, it can be extremely difficult to provide a comforting environment for their loved ones and maintain financial security. Many people who are taking care of their family members end up spending quite a bit of their own money during the process, leaving their finances in shambles. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re taking care of your own needs while making sure your loved one is safe and comfortable. Even when setting your home up for the care process, set it up for your self-care by increasing natural lighting, adding plants, and giving yourself a designated space to relax and meditate. It’s not always easy, but with these tips,  you can create a plan that works for you and your loved one.   Continue Working   Many caregivers feel they must give up their day jobs in order to take care of their loved one full-time, but this can put a serious strain on your finances quickly. Instead, look for a