Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 I'll admit it. Lately, I've been standing a bit too close to the worry line. Okay. So, it's more accurate to say I crawled over it and collapsed on the wrong side of worry. Lol. I can talk about it now, though. It got really tough. The company I work for didn't pay me for nearly a month, and saying we "got behind" just doesn't do it justice. But God is faithful even when I worry. This morning I found myself reading Ephesians 3:14-16 over and over. Here's how the New Living Translation (1996) worded them:  When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan,  I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the C reator of everything in heaven and earth . I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources ,  He will give you inner strength through His Holy Spirit. Firstly, let's talk about the scope of God's plan . He didn't watch us wake up this morning and worry if He'd have enough grace to carry us through today or not. Creation was car...

 This morning, I read and reread the passage about Jesus' first visit to Martha's house. He and His disciples were on the way to Jerusalem, and they passed by the village where the two sisters lived. Martha invited Jesus and the disciples into her home. (Luke 10:38-42) Martha got busy making this group of grown men a large meal. I can't imagine having 13 men show up at my house and having to get dinner ready for them! Talk about stress! SMH. It was Martha's responsibility  to feed them. She invited them over, after all.  But as she was working to get this huge meal ready, she noticed Mary out of the corner of her eye. I'm sure she thought something like, What does Mary think she's doing? I'm in here slaving to make this meal and she's just sitting there doing nothing!  So Martha presents her frustrations to Jesus. She prayed like many of us pray - Do something! She literally tells Jesus to make Mary come help her! I'm guilty as charged. It's so e...

  One of my favorite Bible characters is David. He was quite the "character" at times, too. David was not perfect, didn't do everything right, and made lots of mistakes. Boy, do I relate! But he was also quick to repent. I find his psalms to be open, honest, real, and raw. In fact, it was Psalm 13 that helped me on my caregiving journey.  Caregiving has its own mix of emotional roller coasters. Not to brag, but I can go from mountaintop to deep, dark valley and back to the mountaintop in less than 3 seconds. And, still not bragging, but I can do it hundreds of times a day...or an hour. David's open honesty helped me realize I really could  share my emotional crazies with God. It's not like He doesn't know anyway. Today, in Psalm 119, I found a small emotional crazy of David's, I think. I love verse 24, which says Your decrees please me: they give me good advice. David sounds content. He seems to have found a moment of peace and realized that it is God'...

 Everything is complicated. Caregivers don't get to enjoy a "normal" life. When we do get to do "normal" things, it takes so much more effort than most give us credit for. It's okay. They really don't get it. Most don't understand the extra effort we put into daily things that others take for granted. Simple things like buying groceries, cooking, and running to the bank can be complicated at best. Impossible at worst. If we are fortunate, we have some people who can help us get all those done. Thank God for Instacart! :-) The struggle is real. But so is hope. Sometimes it seems like these two things are mutually exclusive. But this morning, as I was searching for answers myself, I discovered something I hadn't seen before in a familiar psalm. I know we talk about Psalm 13 a lot, but my Bible fell open to it, and I read it one more time.  David starts Psalm 13 with gut-level honesty about how he feels. He is asking God where He is. David is wonder...

 Do you ever have those times when it feels like absolutely nothing makes sense? We plan for job advancement and homeownership. We planned our careers, families, and retirement. But one day we look up to realize nothing is what we planned. Even though, mentally, we planned on caring for our parents, or we have raised a child with special needs, the picture isn't what we planned. But here we are. Putting one foot in front of the other. One day at a time. When nothing makes sense, we just keep trusting. I think that's what Asaph was talking about in Psalm 77. I return to this psalm a lot! I also hang out in Psalm 13 and, of course, Psalm 31 ! These are soul-searching, heart-wrenching psalms. In Psalm 77, Asaph asks hard questions as he reflects on his life. He asks if God has rejected him forever. And then asks, Will He never show me favor again? (v. 7) In verse 8, Asaph continues his questions with, Is His unfailing love gone? Have His promises permanently failed?  And in verse...

 Life is not fair. Caregiving is not fair. As time goes on, it can feel even less fair. It can seem like life cheated us out of plans, hopes, dreams, and our lives with our loved ones. I wonder if this is how Jakob felt.  Laban was a cheater; he did not play fair. Jakob was introduced to Laban's deception from the start. He made an agreement to marry Laban's daughter, Rachel. Jakob was sooooo in love with Rachel. But after the wedding was consummated and the veil removed, Jakob discovered that the love of his life, the woman he agreed to work 7 years for, had been withheld by Laban. He had just married Leah, Rachel's older sister. Talk about the old switcheroo... smh.  Laban had tricked Jakob, and he required another 7 years of service in exchange for his daughter Rachel. Jakob loved her so much he overlooked Laban's cheating, lies, and deceptive lifestyle.  Jakob struck up another deal with Laban years later. Jakob wanted to leave; Laban wanted him to stay because h...