Skip to main content

Same Difference

chris sitting up at the 34 project

 I am pretty sure that no one will argue about the difficulties of the caregiving journey. Caregiving is challenging no matter what. The sea is sometimes calmer than other times, but it's always rolling and creating waves big or small. One thing I've discovered is that it doesn't really matter how challenging or smooth the day is - I'm going to trust God, no matter what. I don't trust Him less on the days that are easier, I still have to trust Him and let His peace reign in my heart whether it's good things or bad things that try to distract me.

In 2 Thessalonians, Paul's closing starts with this: May the Lord of peace himself always give you His peace no matter what happens. I found myself reading and re-reading this verse over and over this morning. His peace is good in the bad times - and it's good in the good times. Sometimes, it's the good times that become more of a distraction because I forget my intense need for His peace when things look like they are going smoothly. 

Paul is reassuring the new believers that God's peace covers them in any and all situations. The interesting thing is that Paul is writing this from inside a prison cell. His life was not what we would consider "ideal." Yet, he had a grasp on how powerful God's peace was - no matter what the surroundings looked like.

Oftentimes, caregiving can feel like a prison cell. Caregivers give up many freedoms others take for granted to care for their loved ones. It's not as easy to just run to the store, or do a few errands. We may have to hire a sitter or have things delivered. No matter what our caregiving situation looks like - God has us covered in His peace. He didn't pack up and leave when life's road got bumpy. And He's not gonna leave just because we feel in control and great for a moment, either. His peace abounds to us in all circumstances and situations.

Today, I will thank God for His no-matter-what peace. My thoughts will be on how He surrounds me with songs of deliverance, joy, and salvation. I will rest in His peace today as I work through the emotions and challenges of caregiving. I'll remind myself that He's got me today and He will not let me go! I can trust Him for one more day - will you join me?


                                                                                                                                                           


If you enjoy these devotionals, I have others! I've expanded my bookstore on Amazon. My devotionals are available in Kindle or print format. The new Bible study guides are now available on Kindle and in print! Check out my growing bookstore: My Bookshelf

I also recently opened my own bookstore. I'm presently filling it up with my books - check out the ones I have available in eBook format. You can download them and read them on your phone! Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore.


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

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