This week, I've been reading the book of Acts. I am enjoying the journey of the early church. Can you imagine what it would be like if your church saw 5000 people saved in a day? Mass chaos would ensue as leadership tried to figure out how to serve that many people! It'd be great and difficult at the same time - kind of like caregiving. Lol.
But yesterday, I got stuck in Acts 9 thinking about a practical caregiving issue. In verse 32, we read that Peter was traveling around and encouraging all the new believers. He came to the town of Lydda. Verse 33 says in the NLT, There he (Peter) met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Now, the next verses talk about how Peter proclaimed healing, and the man just got up! That's so amazing. But my brain got stuck on some of the practical parts.
Aeneas was paralyzed and bedridden. My mind compared the situation to my son, of course, even though he's not "paralyzed." I started wondering how this man's caregivers kept him alive for 8 years! I'm not being facetious, either. They had none of our modern conveniences. They didn't have a hospital bed - or beds like anything we have today. We know as caregivers that preventing bed sores is a huge issue. How did they do that? The man would have laid on the ground a mat made of straw or maybe a pad of some sort with feathers in it...? I don't know, but it was an amazing feat that someone who is not named here took care of him for 8 years.
They didn't have wheelchairs, standing frames, washable waterproof pads, or briefs. They didn't even have wipes! (One thing I sure wish I had invested in!!!) The caregivers didn't even have gloves. I just want to applaud his caregivers because they were real troopers.
But I also want to applaud YOU! Caregiving is not easy, even with all the supplies and resources we have today. It's emotionally draining and physically exhausting. Yet, here you are, grabbing hope to make another day. You are still seeking God in the middle of the battle, the loneliness, the wilderness, fire, or flood! Yes, we may feel all those in a day, or in a morning, or in an hour. Lol. But we continue seeking God's help. I believe God honors that.
Today, I will start by being so thankful for all my "tools," from wipes to briefs, bed pads to wheelchairs, high-speed blenders, and standing frames! And then, I'll be thankful for God's sustaining grace that carries me each and every day. I'll remind myself that God is very much aware of the practical side of caregiving, and He continues to watch over me and carry me when needed. I'll set my heart on Him today and trust Him for just one more day. Will you join me?
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Get your copy of my devotional: "Poems for Caregivers."
The ebook is available to download for free on my bookstore website: Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore
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