Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 It's easy for life to feel like a wilderness. I will say that my mental image and definition of a wilderness changed when I used to hike the Kistachie National Forest wilderness areas. I thought it was going to be barren, dry, and empty. I was surprised to find it natural, full, and living. Wilderness doesn't mean there is nothing there.  A quick look at the online dictionary reveals wilderness to mean: uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable. Yup. That's about right. At least the 7-mile trail I loved to hike was that way! It had abundant plants, animals, and beautiful natural features to enjoy. But it was a rough hike filled with climbing, sliding, and crossing small waterways. It was the challenge that drew me to hike it over and over again! In Isaiah 49:11, God tells Isaiah that He will make mountains into level paths... and that He'll raise the highways above the valleys. Sounds like to me that He's going to smooth out the path in the wilderness.  What I no...

We do what we do out of genuine love. Caring for our loved ones is our number one priority. It's so easy for us to get lost in the process, which means that as caregivers, we deal with social isolation. The loss of our social life can weigh heavily on us, even if we can get out and about some; there are times we feel imprisoned by our circumstances. Personally, I've missed weddings to funerals, and everything in between, because of caregiving duties and a lack of help. I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. That's why this phrase in Isaiah 49:9 grabbed my attention. This chapter is Isaiah's commission from the Lord. God is giving him instructions and explaining the mission. Part of this mission is to tell the prisoners of darkness to come out into freedom. (NLT) As I read that phrase, prisoners of darkness  I felt like I could relate on some level. Of course, this is talking about stepping from darkness into the light and the basics of salvation. (IMO) But on ...

 We don't always get answers to our questions, do we? It's impossible for us to understand why some things happen or why they happened a certain way. Just because there are unanswered questions running around in our minds, it doesn't mean God hasn't responded. Maybe He didn't respond like we thought He would, or with the response we thought we were going to get. In Isaiah 49:8, God tells the prophet, I will respond to you. He goes on to say, I will help you. If I'm totally honest, God's help, which I am very thankful for, doesn't look like what I expected or desired. David understood that God was his help.  In Psalm 121, he declares,  " My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth!   Isaiah and David both knew the source of help. But it can certainly look different for each of us. It can even look different from one day to the next.  As caregivers, there is a lot on our proverbial plates. We have to wear many hats. We are caregive...

 No matter how long you've been a caregiver, you can probably think back to times when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God gave you strength. Here in Isaiah 49:5, Isaiah says, my God has given me strength. (NLT) I've often wondered how people who do not know or trust in God walk through seasons like this. For me, God has been my constant confidant. A confidant is more than a good friend. It's someone you can trust with everything. And we know that God sees everything. He knows everything  - and still chooses to hang around. LOL.  Early on, I realized that I couldn't find strength in any other source. People tried to encourage me, and just as many walked away, unsure of how to help or what to do. There were a few who directly or indirectly acted like I had no faith or this wouldn't have happened.  I'll admit that at first I struggled a lot with questions like, Where is God, now? I really had trusted Him with my kids, and it looked like and felt like He...

Family caregivers often carry a quiet load: steady caregiving responsibilities, constant decisions, and the emotional stressors that come with loving someone who needs ongoing help. Caregiver stress challenges can show up as irritability, numbness, guilt, worry, or a shaky sense of faith when there’s no room left to breathe. When every day feels urgent, rest can start to feel selfish, and support can feel out of reach. Naming this pressure matters because the importance of stress management isn’t about doing more; it’s about staying well enough to keep showing up with patience, clarity, and hope. Understanding What’s Driving Your Caregiver Stress It helps to put a clear name to what’s weighing you down. Caregiver stress often comes from a few repeat sources: time getting squeezed, emotions running on empty, too little help, and the early signs of burnout. This matters because stress relief works better when it matches the real problem. If your strain is mostly scheduling and coor...

Get used to Isaiah 49, I feel like camping here for a while! LOL. Even though Isaiah mentions how God has made his words of judgment like a sharp sword, he also realizes the loving care of Father God. In yesterday's blog, Before Before ,  we talked about how God saw and called Isaiah while he was still in the womb. That's some serious forethought, huh?  In verse two, Isaiah says that God has hidden me in the shadow of His hand.  (NLT) As a prophet, Isaiah knows his call is to proclaim the words of God. Sometimes those are judgment calls, sometimes not so much. Ultimately, even when proclaiming impending judgment (Ninevah and Jonah), the call is for people to repent. God's ultimate desire is for us to return to Him.   This is what caught my attention in this chapter. God's talking to His people, heart-to-heart, and He is offering hope right in the middle of their struggles. (Boy, that sounds familiar, now!) It's easy to read the Old Testament and picture God as a har...