The Light in the Back of the Cave

In yesterday's blog, I used a phrase that basically came out of nowhere. I wrote that God is our light in the back of the cave. As caregivers, we can find ourselves comfortable in our little caves. Maybe it's just me, but I get discouraged when we try to do "normal" things. Trying to be normal presents a great challenge when your life is anything but normal. It's difficult to travel, go to the gym, run to the grocery store, or have a game night with friends (if there are any left!). Over the last 15 years, I've found myself moving further and further back into the cave and venturing out far less.

Spending life in a caregiver's cave is what drew me to Psalm 31 a few years ago and the primary reason the passage spoke to me so deeply. It was also written while David was hiding from Saul in the cave. Although our reasons were very different, we found the cave a safe place, and God met us there. I spent so much time in Psalm 31 and the proverbial cave that I wrote the 31-day devotional, 31 Days in Psalm 31.

Since God is in the cave with us - and He is light - there IS a light in the cave. So, with my mind on the comfort and protection of the cave, I looked back through the psalm this morning. A few of David's prayers stood out to me:

deliver me...(v.1)
deliver me (v.2)
be my rock of refuge (v.2)
lead me and guide me (v.3)
pull me out of the net! (v.4)
have mercy on me (v.9)
deliver me (v.15)
save me (v.16)

But this one stood out to me in verse 16 - make Your face shine on Your servant. What a prayer from the back of the cave. The cave can be a dark, lonely place, even for the one destined to become a king.

I love this psalm because David isn't afraid to pour out his heart to God in raw, open honesty. He's also not afraid to ask God for help. And in the final verse, David encourages himself to be of good courage; God will strengthen your heart; just hope in Him. (v.24)

So, if you hear me singing from the back of the cave today - you'll know I have my focus on the light Who is in there with me. :-)

Today, I will shift my focus from the dark loneliness of the cave to the Light that is sitting in the cave with me. I'll encourage myself to trust God with more of myself and my situation. I'll make a few declarations like David...I will trust in God. He is my strength. He is my refuge...And I will set my heart and mind on all that God has already done and how He is not going to abandon me to the cave. Instead, He will light my mind, my heart, and my space with His life-giving soul-light. And with that, I will trust Him for just one more day. Will you join me?

Comments

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