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 this verse over in my mind a few times, I looked back up and read the preceding verses. Isaiah is talking about how a farmer plows, then he stops plowing so he can sew seed. But then he stops planting seeds to wait for the harvest. After he harvests and processes his crop, the farmer starts all over again. The process does not include just plowing over and over again. It's not just sewing seeds. It's not just harvesting. To complete the process, the farmer does these actions repeatedly, but he doesn't just do one of them all the time.

I thought about the seasons of life and, specifically, caregiving. It's definitely doing the same things over and over again every day. Oh sure, there are certain aspects of the day that can be different and lots of surprises along the way - like lost supplies or emergency hospital visits. But we kind of do the same things over and over in a broad sense. In the midst of the mundane and not-so-mundane - God provides His wisdom. His counsel and guidance lead us each day as we lean in to trust Him.

I love that He didn't abandon us when we became caregivers. He didn't unplug His grace or take back His promises. Instead, the great Caregiver of our souls extends more grace and mercy to carry us on this road. He never wrings His hands and tells us He hasn't got a clue what to do. His counsel is still wonderful, and His guidance is still excellent, no matter where we are in the caregiving processes.

Today, I'll remind myself that He has wisdom for the caregiver. My prayer will be that I can handle each situation through His wisdom and counsel instead of trying to forge ahead in my own strength. I will purpose to quiet my heart and soul today, so I can hear what He has to say, as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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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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