Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 Mark 6 is packed with things that make you scratch your head in wonder. Jesus feeds 5000 people with 7 loaves of bread and 2 fish, with the disciples giving Him a helping hand. They were part of the miracle. Verse 41 tells us that Jesus asked the Father to bless the food. In the natural, it was not enough. Once He prayed over the food, He began to break pieces off to give to the disciples, who distributed it to the crowd of hungry people. Even though they were an active part of this miracle, verse 52 says they still didn't get it because their hearts were hard and they didn't believe. What a harsh thing to say about the disciples who were following Jesus so closely. But I have no judgement because I know there are areas that I struggle with believing. But let's back up in this story just a little bit. Jesus sent the disciples across the lake toward Bethsaida, and He sent the people home. (v.45) He finally got away so He could spend some time in prayer. He must have spent a...

 Jesus provides us some insights on anxiety in Matthew 6:25-34. I've used this passage to calm my soul many times. When I hear birds singing outside my window, I think of verse 26. He takes care of the birds, so He takes care of me! The birds singing remind me of His watchful care over my soul, and as long as they are singing, He's still providing care! As I was reading this passage the other day, I stopped to meditate on verse 34. Jesus reminds us to not worry about tomorrow. He says that tomorrow will take care of itself. And I love that He says each day has enough trouble. If anyone understands that, it's the caregiver, for sure! We have enough on our plate for today, at least I do, anyway! Why would I want to borrow worries and trouble from tomorrow before anything has even happened?  As caregivers, the future can be troubling. We may worry about our loved one's declining health or increased need for care. Maybe it's a concern that as we age we won't be able...

 Scriptures tell us that Job was righteous. Job 2:10 says that even in his personal dark night of the soul  experience, he didn't sin with his mouth. The NLT (1996) says he said nothing wrong. But as I was looking back over his story, I saw something about Job that I hadn't seen before.  I recognized a progression  of his grief. What's important to note is that this progression was not a sin. Job remained righteous before God as he worked through his struggles. When his world came crashing in on him, Job's response was excellent. In the first chapter, we read the account of Job's absolute worst day ever! I can't even imagine, even though I've related a bit more to his emotional journey at different points in my life. But losing everything, literally, except his health in one day? Whew. All I can do is shake my head. But in Job 1:20, we read Job's response. Job showed his grief by tearing his robe and shaving his head. Then he bowed down and worshipped.  ...

It's so easy to feel like our circumstances rule our emotions. Personally, when my son is doing well, I handle things better. When he has a rough day, my day becomes rough. I'm the first to admit that everything in this household runs around him and his care, mostly because he is total care. I live my days walking on emotionally thin ice, praying nothing breaks.  I've even "bragged" before about being able to go from the mountain to the valley in less than 3 seconds! That's fast. LOL. But it happens. Paul had that opportunity, too, I assume. A quick run-through of 2 Corinthians 11 reveals that he was beaten, stoned, and left for dead, faced dangers on every side, was shipwrecked three times, and drifted out at sea for days. If anyone had an excuse to just give up and sit down, it would be Paul.  As caregivers, we can understand what it is like to have our worlds stripped away. We all face it on some level. Paul could have felt sorry for himself. He could have ...

Does it ever feel like life is broken? I have those days when everything feels broken. It can be in one specific area or (usually) several areas. Everything seems like it's out of place, and nothing is working or going like it should. It's exasperating, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  I mention being in the crucible of life a lot, maybe because I feel like I'm there A LOT! It feels like life is just pressing in and pressing the life out of me sometimes. But even in this "broken" state - I know God has me and I am not broken. Being broken before God doesn't mean we are broken. We may be brokenhearted and poor in spirit,  meaning we are very familiar with our deeply intense need for Him. That's the opposite of being broken... it just means we are smart enough to figure out in our brokenness, we need Him more than anything.  I love that God made it clear in the Word that He is with us when we feel broken. Psalm 34:18 says that He is near the brokenhea...

I made it to Nehemiah 2! The story just fascinates me. I love Nehemiah's dedication to rebuilding the walls, even though it looked impossible. He was faced with a huge chore, plus physical enemies who tried to talk him out of it and tried to discourage him on every side.  In Nehemiah 2:14-18, it talks about Nehemiah surveying the walls. In one area, the rubble was piled such that even his donkey couldn't navigate through it. Donkeys are classic pack animals. They are some of the oldest domesticated animals used to transport goods. This was partly due to their ability to carry heavy loads across difficult terrain. Yet, the wall was in such disrepair that his donkey couldn't walk across it. That's some major destruction! If I'm honest, and I usually am, there are times when I feel like my emotions are broken beyond repair. Emotions can be difficult to manage, and even harder to explain. But the difficulty of navigating heaps of rubble didn't stop Nehemiah. He was ...