The Great Escape

 The caregiving journey, like most journies, is made up of lots of ups and downs. I've "bragged" about it before, but I can go from super duper elated to completely down in the dumps and right back up again in under 10 seconds! Lol. No matter what the scenario, caregiving is not easy. In the best settings, emotions are easily fried, and we can become a frazzled mess, even if we never show it outwardly. Did you ever wonder if there was a way to escape?

Escaping for a couple of hours can make a huge positive impact on emotions and help protect the caregiver's mental health. But - who gets to do that? Sometimes, caregivers get respite, but it may be too expensive or just not be provided.  No one will argue with how difficult caregiving is. But we know that in the midst of the hard spots, there are some wonderful memories and emotions too. Precious moments with our loved ones are invaluable. Fortunately, they are not always tainted with pain or worry. Wouldn't it be great to escape for a few minutes, even some days?

In Psalm 124:7, David says, our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; their snare is broken, and we have escaped. (NKJV) In the next verse, he goes on to say that our help is in the name of the Lord. God can help our souls escape, so that we don't feel in bondage or imprisoned to caregiving. It's easy to feel like we are living through the verses before the "great escape" where David says he felt like he was being swallowed alive, the waters would overwhelm them, and the swollen waters and stream would go over their souls. I think I can relate. But I do know that God's peace can provide an escape for our soul no matter what our caregiving plate looks like.

Today, I will let my soul escape into God's heart, where I know He will hold and protect it. I'll make a conscious choice to rely on Him for peace, direction, and help for my soul. I will remind myself that He alone is my help - and today, I'm not looking for another God. He is my soul's refuge, and he can give my soul the reprieve it needs. I'll be thankful that He didn't say His peace was for everyone but the caregiver. And that He never excludes us when He's handing out blessings. So, I will trust Him for this already crazy crazy day! Will you join me?

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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!