Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 This week, I re-explored the story of the 3 Hebrew Children. The king had set up an idol and demanded that everyone bow down to it when they heard the music start. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused to bow to any god but God. The king threatened to throw them into a fiery furnace, which would mean sure death. They still refused to bow. I love their faith statement. Our God is able to deliver us, they said. But if He doesn't, we still won't bow. They must have had some doubt that God was going to come riding in on His proverbial white horse to deliver them. But they were resolute. Even if...  they would not bow! I wonder what they thought as the day began to unfold. God didn't come before the ropes were tightly secured around their hands. Maybe they looked toward heaven and asked, Are you coming now? No sign yet. They were led toward the furnace, which was being heated up 7 times more than normal, to represent the king's anger toward them.    Just before they get...

 I LOVE my flowers. I enjoy houseplants, too. Maybe it's because I love being surrounded by life and beauty. The last couple of years, I haven't had the money to buy any outside plants. But this year, I went ahead and splurged even though the budget was super tight. I am so glad I did!  My inside, fully shaded patio has greenery and beautiful flowers hanging, creating a small haven where I can sip tea and read if I get a minute or two. My other patio has LOTS of sunshine most of the day, so this year I tried sunflowers, and I was not disappointed! I've so enjoyed them, especially in the early mornings, they seem to be so happy, smiling, and waving good morning! I've never had sunflowers before, so I didn't know how they would do. They do take some tending, but they seem to be doing pretty good. But I noticed yesterday that there are lots of dead ones, lots of beautifully bloomed ones, and plenty all ready to open up at next morning's light!  I hadn't really ...

 I "found" a scripture last week that described my typical caregiving day. It's in Genesys 42:36. Jakob has found himself in a hard spot. He lost Joseph a lifetime ago; now there is a famine in the land, and it's extreme. He sent his older sons to Egypt to get some food so they could survive. Now, the "mean" leader that they are unaware of is Joseph himself, who wants them to return. But he is requesting that they bring Benjamin to prove their story is true. Jakob cries out, "You have bereaved me of my children, Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin?" (ESV) His next breath is spent with the thought that comes behind many sighs. Everything is going against me!" (NLT)  Have you ever felt that way? Things can pile up so quickly on any given caregiving day, and it can feel like everything in life is working against us. It can be a few big things, numerous "smaller" things, or a combination of the two that ...

 It simply is NOT easy taking care of another whole person. I don't know about you, but I find myself second-guessing nearly every decision. My hope was that this would get better over time, but it has not. No matter how big or small a matter is, it seems like there is always a question.  Did I make the right choice? Was that the wrong decision? If I'm not careful (overthinker that I am), I will let those questions drag me into the emotional abyss and convince me that every decision I've ever made was wrong. LOL. Funny, but somehow it happens! It's just hard to make decisions for another person, especially if they can't weigh in on things that affect them. For some of us, myself included, there's enough second-guessing about the decisions that affect us directly, without the emotional mix that comes with making decisions for (or about) others.  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet up with a missionary who visited my uncle's church last Sunday. We hit it ...

 Caregiving days can be a little bit (okay, a WHOLE LOT) crazy. I won't start with my list, because I know you have one that matches, or maybe a little bit longer! We understand how lonely the walk can be and how difficult each day is. Caregiver burnout is real, but for many of us, we have to ignore it and keep pressing through. There isn't relief on the way; the cavalry isn't coming! We often struggle under the load, but we can't let anyone know as I mentioned in a recent post . What we end up doing is finding ways to walk numbly through the toughest parts of our days, while hoping something brighter is on the other side. We can't talk about mental health  because someone might think we are not fit to be caregivers. But there are some ways to help. Firstly, as believers, we run to God's word for comfort, direction, and help. We know that He is our present help in time of need. And all our time - is a time of need. The old hymn comes to mind - I need thee, O I n...

2 Kings 4 tells the story of Elisha, who prayed for the Shunammite woman to have a child, and she did. The boy grew up and was working in the field one day when he grabbed his head in pain and then died. She headed straight for the prophet. Elisha saw her when she was quite a bit away and sent his servant, Gehazi to check on her. When he asked her if everything was okay, she answered, It is well.  One way to look at it is that it was her statement of faith. Another way to look at it is that it's an outright lie. Gahazi specifically asked her if all was well with her, with her husband, and with her son. But all wasn't well as the boy had died. I'll take it as her painful, but faith-filled declaration. She was probably numb on the inside, and like most mother's in distress she likely had tons of unanswered questions about the moment and the future. Yet she says, All is well. As caregivers, we can live in an "all is well" state. We don't tell people how we fe...