Circumstance and Faith

It is way too easy to measure our personal faith level by our circumstances. Many would make it sound like if we are going through a tough situation then we lack faith. I firmly believe that it is just the opposite. Faith doesn't mean that I can make every unpleasant situation simply disappear. Faith means I can keep walking through adversity.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 the apostle Paul laid out some pretty grim circumstances. He said that even when we are perplexed, we are not in despair; when we are afflicted, we are not totally crushed. If adverse situations like the reasons we care give (illness, traumatic brain injury, physical limitations, etc) are a sign of no faith then Paul had no faith. A further study into 2 Corinthians 11 and 12 will show that Paul went through all kinds of trouble - yet we do not consider him to be faithless.

Be encouraged today that faith isn't a magic potion to make trouble disappear; it is the substance that will carry you through today. Faith says I trust God no matter what. Faith sees adversity put pushes on anyway. I think caregivers must be people of great faith as we see the adversity and embrace it. We cannot make it go away, but we can do what we can to help. That requires faith, hope and love.

So press on O ye of great faith!

Comments

Caregiver Burnout is Real

Do you ever just get too tired? Do you ever want to quit? Do you ever sit down for a whole 30 seconds and think about not getting back up? Ever? Who am I kidding? Sometimes I forget who I'm talking to. Lol. As caregivers, burnout is real. But the problem for most of us, is we don't get a break even in the midst of burnout, right? Let's face it. If we had a bit more help we might avoid burnout - but once we feel that we are in a season of burnout and stressed out - there's still no help. It's easy to feel stuck. I try to do a few things to avoid burnout and to cope. Someone told me one time that I had learned how to live even in the midst of the situation. I think she was right. I have learned to slow down and enjoy an afternoon cup of tea (or coffee!!!). I try to get outside as much as possible because sunshine and fresh air are essential to a healthy life. Some days that means sitting on the patio so I can see Chris in the recliner through the window. But I'

Part of the Crowd

I took Chris to our local minor league baseball team's game yesterday. I must say I give the ballpark an A+ on accessibility. The parking guys pointed me to a handicap spot right near the gate. And from there, I just rolled him in and found our accessible seating - which just means a chair beside an empty spot for the wheelchair to fit in! It was great. He could see fine and even though it was a bit loud at times - it wasn't too loud for him. What joy fills my heart when I find things to do that are positive. As we sat and watched the game, we became part of the crowd. We were all watching the game and cheering on the home team. We had one purpose - besides being entertained, and that was to support the local team. We all cheered when our guys made a play. We hooped and hollered when one of them stole a base or hit a home run. It was so amazing to be part of something bigger than us - to be part of the community. It made me think about the crowds who followed Jesus and the w

Ups and Downs

Maybe it's just "that time of year" for me, but I've struggled a lot the last few weeks. I still affectionately call it the caregiver's fog. Lol. Okay, maybe it's not-so-affectionately. I know I can share my true feelings with you guys because you get it. You understand the day-to-day grind of caregiving. The military has a saying about there being no easy day. I think we live in that reality. It's just not easy caring for another whole person, is it? Caregiving presents many difficulties. We can find ourselves alone, so very alone on this journey. It doesn't just go away. We don't just work through it. It seems to go on and on. There are lots of ups and downs - and that can be about every 90 seconds some days. Right? (smile!) As I've been working through this emotional maze the last few days, I turned my thoughts to Daniel. Let's take a realistic look at his circumstances because as we read his story in the Bible, we tend to glamorize i

Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Search This Blog