Exemption Cards Please!

My Bible sort of fell open to 2 Chronicles this morning and I read through a few stories of kings. It was interesting how one king would serve God and the next would not. After a few chapters, I thought - it really is a matter of the heart. It's a choice we all have to make whether to serve him or not, whether we are kings or peasants. In 2 Chronicles 28 Ahaz became king. but his heart wasn't right with God, scriptures say he was unfaithful. Verse 22 stood out to me this morning - it says this And when trouble came to King Ahaz, he became even more unfaithful to the Lord. (NLT)

I'm not really sure why that verse struck me so this morning. You see, for most of us, trouble leads us back to Him. For many, it's the only time they pray. lol. As caregivers, every day brings "trouble." It can be something that seems as simple as fears. For me - I fear not being enough, not making the right decisions for those I care for, or not being able to take care of them. Trouble comes in many forms from fear, to financial burdens, or illness. Hopefully, it's not the only time we talk to the Lord, not the only times we seek Him, but it's better than nothing! What I don't understand is why King Ahaz would be more unfaithful in trouble.

I've said for years that it is important to get to know God when there isn't trouble. When you are seeking Him as a shelter it works a lot better for you if you already know Him. But it really is better late than never. If we pursue Him when there isn't trouble it's much easier to trust Him in the midst of it. The disciples in the boat in the storm come to mind.

In Matthew 14, Jesus sent His disciples off in a boat to the other side of the lake. It was the middle of the night and a storm came up. There's a lot in that right there. I would think being out on the lake at night would be scary enough - but then heavy waves came up too. Caregiving is like that I think. It can be very dark at times, heavy enough without added winds and waves of a storm. You would think we would get an exemption card from the rest of life, but we don't.

So here are the disciples in a doubly scary place and Jesus comes walking on the water. Of course, this looked like a third fear-factor! But Jesus told them "It's alright. I am here! Don't be afraid." (Matthew 14:27) Peter, like me, is unsure - if it's you, Lord, tell me to come to you on the water. Jesus tells him to come on. Peter jumped out of the boat and walked on the water, at night, in a storm. Why? Because he knew Jesus outside the dark and outside the storm.

I pray the storm makes me more faithful to Him.

Today, I'm going to think about how Jesus came to the disciples in their storm when He could have stayed safely tucked in on the shore. My meditations will be on how He comes to me when life seems dark, and when I feel tossed by the storm. Even with thoughts of fear running through my head - my heart will say I trust Him. And that I will do for one more day. Will you join me?

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

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