Skip to main content

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

 


A caregiver's day is filled with decisions. The most difficult part is making them for someone else. Some caregivers take care of loved ones who can speak and make choices. My son cannot speak. If he does make a choice, it's often hard to communicate it effectively. I'm always second-guessing what he meant and worry that I missed his slight cues. 

Our decisions are like everyone else's in that they affect more people than we imagine sometimes. Some people haven't always understood my choice to take care of my son at home. They think I should just put him in a facility. While I know I have a choice - I just can't take that route. They won't push him like he needs to be pushed to improve among other things. But the decision to care for our loved ones usually affects other aspects of our lives as well. Actually, it affects every aspect of our lives.

Even though some people don't understand making the decision to care for a loved one (long-distance or in-home), it's often the right choice. That decision is then followed by tons of new decisions that have to be made. Where do we live? Will I have supplies? Will I have enough money? Will I have help? I'm sure you can add to this list!

As I was thinking about all the decisions I've made over my caregiving years, I must say I regret some and celebrate others. lol. Those who don't understand think I could make it a lot easier on myself by doing it another way. But I just can't. I wondered this morning if they thought the same thing about Jesus. The cross was a decision. He toiled over it in the garden that last night. He even asked Father if there was another way. But then He decided to drink the cup He was given. Hebrews 12:2 says He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. We are that joy! I'm so glad He chose to go to the cross, even though I'm sorry He had to endure it.

Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if He'd made another choice? What if He decided to take the easier route and avoid the cross? We would have been affected forever. His single decision to obey the Father and complete the task set before Him gave us more than we could have ever imagined.

Today, I will be thankful that He chose to be my spiritual caregiver. I will specifically thank Him for choosing to dispel the darkness in my heart with His glorious light. I hope to mirror His heart by making hard choices of my own. I will rejoice in the salvation He purchased for us with His own blood, sweat, and tears. I'll remind myself that He ever lives to continue to intercede for us. His blood still speaks. I'm overcome with gratefulness for His decision for me! I'll spend some extra time today just thanking Him for this journey. Will you join me?



_____________________________________________________________________

Book cover of the 1 John Study Guide


I have two bookstores of devotionals, Bible study guides, poetry, and more! You can get my downloadable eBooks (some are free!) from Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore. A few of them are also available in print or for Kindle on Amazon!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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

Seasons Are Temporary

  This morning, I found myself reading in Isaiah 28. I ended up there because I was looking for something in particular, and even though I didn't find what I was looking for, I found what I needed. God's so cool like that, isn't He? My eyes first fell on verse 29, which says in the NKJ: This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. I rolled that over in my mind and heart a few times and spent a few minutes thinking about how I'd seen His counsel in action in my own life. We've all had those times when we weren't sure what to do or where to go, and suddenly, an idea drops into our thoughts. There are many ways He provides direction for us. He may direct our steps through a passage of scripture, a trusted spiritual leader such as a pastor, a YouTube teacher, and maybe even a lowly blog writer. Lol. No matter how He chooses to deliver His counsel, it comes - but we must listen. After I had rolled these thoughts and t

Seek and Ye Shall Find

 Over the last few weeks, I've been trying to strategize ways of dealing with stress. It's something we all deal with, especially caregivers. I'm walking and exercising more, which helps the body get rid of stress and it helps improve sleep to some degree. But I've also been working on training my thoughts. I've been working on purposefully finding things to be thankful for. At first, it was a bit difficult because let's face it, caregiving is hard work.  This morning, I was plugging Chris into a nebulizer for a breathing treatment as he had an asthma attack yesterday afternoon after we'd been out for a little bit. As I was doing his treatment and his tube feeding, I didn't even really think about it; this "thought" just rolled up out of me. I thought, thank you, Lord, for carrying us through the long night. My own thankfulness surprised me! Lol. I realized at that moment that it's getting easier and easier to be thankful, even for the litt