Broken is Not The End

Do you ever feel broken? Sometimes I look around at all the other "normal" people who are not caregivers, and feel like my life is so broken. As caregivers, we can't always do all the "normal" things like plan and take vacations, take a job in another city, or even hop in the car and run to the store to grab butter. When I scroll through facebook and I see all the things all the "cool" people get to do, it can start dragging my emotions down into the pit. But feeling broken is not the end.

Let me quickly distinguish the difference between broken and brokeness. Brokeness is a state we become before God. It's the realization of our desparate need for Him - whether we are broken or not. They are the first group Jesus mentioned in His first ever sermon on earth. In the sermon on the mount, He starts with Blessed are the poor in spirit (broken), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (NKJV) The NLT translates it this way - God blesses those who realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them. Brokeness is a realization that I need God in my life, caregiver or not!

Broken is quite different. We often think that if something breaks, it's not worthwhile anymore. This is not always true. I've broken several bones in my body, not all at the same time thankfully, and they just take some time to heal. They are not broken forever. That'll preach.

Somethings still work, even though they are broken into pieces. A broken crayon still colors beautifully, even if it means just using a little piece of it. A broken mirror - still reflects light. And a broken clock - is still right twice a day! Lol. Just because we may feel broken, doesn't mean we are beyond "repair." As a matter of truth - God move near to the broken hearted. (Psalm 34:18) He does not say that we are too broken for Him to be near us. People may avoid us because of our broken state - but God will not. As a matter of fact, He does not see us as broken at all.

We may percieve our lives to be broken - but not one thing in the kingdom of God (which is in us) is broken, weakened, or lost. We are still whole in Him. Our salvation is still in tact. When we look past the natural and into the spiritual, we'll realize nothing is broken in us, because God still makes His home in us.

Today, I will shift my focus from the things and ways I feel my life is broken. Instead, I'll meditate on the Kingdom of God that is still whole and still inside this weary body. I will choose to see myself whole in Christ and I'll remind myself that He is still the anchor of my soul, He holds me, He rescues me, and nothing is lost after all. I'll think about how the journey has strengthened my faith, solidified my resolve to serve Him, and deepened my love for God as I've come to know Him even more. I will trust that He's got me today - so I will rest in Him. Will you join me?

Would You Like to Help Dove's Fire Ministries?

Maybe you've wondered about helping support all that goes on at DFM. One way is to shop my personal bookstore, which has devotionals, Bible study guides, and more that I have written. Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore.

You can also donate via PayPal at paypal.me/dovesfireministries

Or you can donate via CashApp: $JeanieOlinger

Or if you have Venmo my ID is:@Mary-Olinger-6

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

The Practical Side of Caregiving

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

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

Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Search This Blog