Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Caregiving is complex, and it's just hard. Period. As I approach the 18th anniversary of my son's wreck, it has caused much reflection. Caregiving usually comes with losses that can't be described, and sometimes, we don't even realize them ourselves. It's an understatement to say that caregiving has changed my life. It literally changed everything. But in all honesty, there have been some good things that have come about on this journey, too. I think of Job a lot. In the end, it says that God restored Job. In fact, God doubled Job's worth and wealth. He had more money, real friends, more houses and lands; his siblings came over to eat once again, and he had more children. We love to rejoice in this. It's easy to say that Job was restored  by God's hand. But it leaves me with a few thoughts and/or questions. The point of restoration  is to set things back to normal levels. (We don't talk about normal as caregivers lol!) But Job didn't  get his ch...

 Yesterday, we looked at Matthew 11:28 and how Jesus seemed to understand when we are fatigued, heavy, tired, and carrying a huge load. As I was camping in these verses, I realized I'd always had a mental block with Jesus' next statement.  In verse 28, He says to come. He says He will give us peace. But in verse 29, Jesus says, take My yoke   on you. I admit that has never made any sense, because a yoke seems like a bondage, at least to an ox. Lol. So, I did a little digging in my handy-dandy Strong's Concordance app.  In the Greek, "yoke" is zugos.  It does mean to join  as with a yoke. It also means a coupling,   or the beam of balance (as connecting the scales), a pair of balances yoke. I actually got it!  When we yoke up with Him , the load immediately balances out and our load becomes lighter because He starts carrying it with us! Jesus goes on to say that His yoke is easy. His burden is light.  We'll feel no affect of sharing ...

 I was remembering some "normal" things I used to do BC (before caregiving). There are lots of things I miss, like hiking, camping, and spontaneity. We talk about our new normal  a lot now that we are caregivers, like the old normal went away. And in many ways, many parts of it are gone. But then my thoughts took a little different turn. Sure, we have our new normal to figure out and deal with. But much of our old normal  didn't go away at all. For example, I don't know about you, but I still have to work, pay bills, do laundry, shop, and bathe myself occasionally. (I do - really!) It's like having a double normal, a normal times two. All the parts of the old normal that got to hang around in our new normal have been adapted and adjusted to the new normal, but they didn't go anywhere. No wonder we are tired! We are dealing with a double normal - normal times two! Thinking about all that just made me more tired. Lol. But then, my mind went to Matthew 11:28. It...

 I love the honesty that God allowed to be in the Bible. In fact, it was David's heartfelt, raw emotions in Psalm 13 that helped me deal with grief. Sometimes, grief is treated as a sin, or at least something we should just get over  and move along. And the weariness that can accompany caregiving is not understood any better than grief. The caregiver's weariness is a whole different creature, and for the most part, we can't do one thing about it. We certainly can't stop and rest. Caregivers are troopers and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Step by step, we conquer each day, all the while feeling like it is conquering us.  I stumbled onto Proverbs 30:1 this morning. Agur says this:  I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. (NLT 1996) Four things stood out to me.  Firstly, Agur admits that he is weary. He just flat-out says it - I am tired.  Secondly, he addresses his feelings to God. - I am weary, God! It's interesting to me becaus...

When you care for an older adult, emergency planning involves more than knowing where the nearest exit is. Medications, mobility limitations, medical equipment, transportation needs and even changes in routine can make evacuating during a wildfire more complicated. Wildfires can also move quickly. A plan that depends on figuring things out after an evacuation order arrives may leave caregivers with too many decisions to make when time matters most. Fortunately, much of the work can be done ahead of time. Preparing for a wildfire before one threatens your community can make it easier to protect an older loved one and maintain the care they depend on throughout an emergency. Understand Your Loved One’s Individual Needs Start by thinking through what your loved one would need if they had to leave home with little notice. For example, can they get into a vehicle without assistance? Do they use a walker, wheelchair or other mobility device? Do they depend on oxygen, a CPAP machine or anothe...

 Who hasn't heard Isaiah 40:31? It was one of our favorite verses to sing back in the 70's when the practice was to put music to scriptures. We sang everything! And most of the time, it was old King James Version, too! You could hear it ringing out, They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.  But some days, waiting sounds like a lot of work, especially if I am going to have to fly like an eagle, run any distance, or walk across the room. :-) I literally think there are some times when waiting seems like it takes way too much energy. Caregiver exhaustion is no joke.  Maybe that's a good time to back up a couple of verses. In verse 28, Isaiah reminds us that God does not get tired like us. In fact, in Isaiah 30:18, the prophet explains that God is waiting on us.  And He still doesn't get tired or weary. Obviously, that's two different levels. Tired....