What goes through your mind on any given day? I wonder, if it were possible to count our thoughts, what the number of thoughts would be in a day. My brain starts running as soon as I hit the snooze the third time. It doesn't stop until I lay down and doze off at night - and still, sometimes, I wake up in the night, especially if there is something weighing on my heart. I think that's called stress. Lol.
I know each of our caregiving journeys is different. So are our personalities, the way we deal with life and caregiving, as well as the elements that make up our day-to-day lives. But no matter what your picture looks like, thoughts can start crowding in. There are lots of things that can take up space in our minds.
- Daily caregiving tasks
- Working through a particular situation or difficulty
- Dealing with caregiving-related emotions
- Handling grief on many levels
- Navigating healthcare nightmares
- Looking to the future
These are just a few of the things that tend to create a crowd in my mind. Your list may look a lot different, or it may look wildly similar. But either way, our thoughts can get crowded, and we can get overwhelmed.
These are some of the things I was thinking about this morning as I read the account in Luke 8, where the woman pressed through the crowd to touch Jesus' garment. She wasn't supposed to be there. And IF she was bold enough to come into town, she was supposed to be crying out loudly, Unclean. I'm unclean. Well, that paints a dire picture, doesn't it? I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel "unclean" in a way, and it feels like we stick out like a sore thumb socially and in society. We just don't quite fit. So, we often choose solitude over feeling uncomfortable.
This lady just didn't care anymore, it seems. She laid aside religious jargon, the legalities of the OT Law, her pride, and everything else and began to press through the crowd to get to Jesus. That's how I see myself trying to press through the crowded thoughts in my mind. There is a lot to press through, and it ain't always pretty. But if we are determined for our hearts to get to Him, we will need to keep pressing through.
Today, my focus will be on pressing through the thoughts crowding my mind. I will practice giving each one to Him - and leaving it there while I wait for His direction, wisdom, and guidance. I will press through my doubts, fears, discouragement, and any other emotion to grab hold of His peace today. I'll remind myself that He gives us His peace, and He doesn't take it back. I'll press through the crazy day to take hold of His peace today. 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. It is also available on my website - until I move it this week! Check out 31 Days in Psalm 31.
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