Small? Thanks Paul

 Even though we are all caregivers, our stories are vastly different. Some of us care for elderly loved ones. Others care for children. Some may care for a sibling or a spouse. We can definitely have a degree of compassion and understanding for one another as caregivers, but the scenarios vary greatly between each of our situations. 

The ones we care for may be totally mobile and able to perform some daily tasks. Or they may be immobile and need total care. Others may be somewhere in between as far as the level of care goes. Sometimes, we care for someone who is okay physically but not functioning well mentally, such as dementia. Other times, caregivers care for a loved one who is okay mentally but needs help with daily care due to physical limitations. Those we care for can fall anywhere on the spectrum when it comes to the type and care they need. We are all caregivers, so we can relate. One thing we can't do is compare because no two situations are quite the same. We tend to try to measure our situations to see who has it worse sometimes. But we are each one in the thick of it and dealing with our situations as best we can.

Paul said it's all small. I thought about being offended for a minute. Lol. In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul says For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever. (NLT) He goes on to encourage the believers in Corinth to focus on what they cannot see (God) and not on what they can see (struggles, troubles, distress). I can't take this advice from just anyone if I'm honest. But Paul has enough blood on his testimony that his words bear more weight.

The dude was beaten several times, stoned nearly to death once, shipwrecked several times, and when he wrote this letter, he was locked up in prison for the gospel, not wrongdoing. I guess maybe Paul understood keeping our eyes on the unseen God rather than our circumstances that we feel and see.

Today, I will task myself with keeping my focus on the God I cannot see with my physical eyes. The struggle comes because of the things we have to carry out, right? Although caregiving doesn't have a pause button, I'll try to shift my focus to the God who is helping me deal. My eyes will be on the God who walks through this with me. I'll meditate on the God of grace, mercy, and peace - the One who is always with me - while I carry out my caregiving tasks today. I believe I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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Book of the Week!

The book of the week for this week is  The Year Orange Juice Saved my Life. It's the story of the year I was very sick with a mystery illness. It was a rough road, but God carried me through that time, and I just started getting better one day. The only explanation is my testimony of how He healed me. You can read this moving and encouraging story on Kindle. You can also download the eBook from my DFM bookstore.