The Many Faces of Caregiving

 Each of our caregiving journeys is different. Of course, some things will be similar, but we are each dealing with very unique situations and circumstances. We share things like emotional roller coasters, grief, and a disrupted, very not-normal lifestyle. But our parallel lives have many differences. Even the things we share, like grief, are different.

Some grief is because we see our parents or elderly loved ones slowly fading away. Some grief is because we wonder what our child could have accomplished. Others grieve over the loss of a child, even though we are still caring for their bodies and the person we knew is gone. There's a whole gamut of possibilities for grief. Any way you want to slice it - it's still grief that can't just be erased.

There are so many challenges - mostly every day for caregivers. Those challenges can be in one or more of many different arenas, including finances, supplies, relationships, or our own physical health.

But here's the good thing - no matter what the reality of caregiving looks like for you or for me - everything God said in His word - still applies.

God didn't take one look at our messy caregiving lives and say - never mind. He doesn't have an at-will eraser so He can erase some verses out of the Bible that don't apply to our situation - or other situations in life that just don't make a lot of sense. His word still stands - and it still applies to our lives.

We still have access to His grace, His mercy, His love, His hope, His word, and Him. Caregiving doesn't automatically create a chasm between us and God. I will say that our emotions can if we let them. And our thought process can if we let them run rampant. Oh, and our worry capabilities can if we get that switch turned on! (I speak from experience! lol)

But nothing we face changes God's word. The things He promised us, like peace, mercy, love, and grace, don't change when life goes south, becomes unmanageable, or tries to swallow us up. No matter where we are on our caregiving journeys, what we deal with each day, or how crazy things can get - He remains.

                                                                                                                                           

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

If you think about it, God is the only constant in our lives. His mercies are new every morning - for our sakes, not His. His grace covers us no matter how the ebbs and flows of life roll. His love is unending, undeterred, and forever - it did not change or become confused when we became caregivers. His word still stands, and we can hold on to it for survival and spiritual sustenance. And that's what I intend to do today! Will you join me?