Aerosmith Had No Idea!

chris taking in some sites at the 45th Infantry Museum

 My son liked Aerosmith before his wreck, so sometimes I put on his music so my son can listen to it. One of his popular songs is Living on the Edge. As we were listening to it the other day, I thought, he has no idea about the edge I live on. Lol.

I found myself on the edge for real last week. I don't know if I was having an emotional breakdown or a mental crisis. But I ended up just pulling away for the weekend. I stopped social media and stayed offline except for work, of course. For whatever reason I felt at the end of my rope - and the knot had frayed so there wasn't anything to hold onto. I had to pull away for my own mental health.

The weird thing is that this morning, everything was just back in place. I have no explanation for why I wanted to quit (everything!). And no explanation as to why it's all okay now. I think I'll blame it on caregiver burnout. I haven't had even a minute break in the last month since respite hasn't been approved yet. 

I felt broken. Crushed. Heavy. Covered up in life. But you know what's really cool? God met me right there on my edge. And He brought absolutely no condemnation with Him. What He did bring was grace. Mercy. Peace. It's like He sat down on the proverbial edge with me and patiently waited for me to get myself together. He didn't push me off the edge - and He didn't condemn me for being there. He was just with me in my surroundings, my emotions, and my crazy off-the-chain thoughts. And He waited...

He waited until I could look at Him again until I could reach for Him again. 

I love that about God. He is so patient with us - even in our caregiving messes and emotional overloads.

Today, I don't know what you may be going through since each of our journeys is different - but I do know that God is in it with you. He is there full of grace, mercy, peace, comfort, and fill-in-the-blank with what you need. His silent presence is powerful. I don't know how He gathers up this mess I call life and makes it all upright again. But I do know that He does it over and over and over again. Sometimes all day long. Lol. I'm so thankful that He didn't abandon me when life got blurry. He's not afraid to sit with you and me right there on our edges. That will be my mediation for today as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me? 

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BOOK OF THE WEEK

Bible Study Guides!


•Psalm 119:11 I have hidden Your word in my heart…
• Hebrews 4:12 The Word of God is active and alive…
• 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourself approved…

Studying the Word is like spiritual weightlifting. It builds our spiritual muscles. God’s word puts like in us and helps us make it through life’s difficulties. It can also bring peace, comfort, and joy. Each day, we study the word to give our souls a foundation to stand on.

These four Bible Study Guides are designed to help you as a student of the Word. Questions are open-ended and encourage you to think about the scriptures in a way that makes them applicable.

Currently, I have four Bible study guides available in print, Kindle, or downloadable eBook.

  • 1 John Study Guide
  • James Study Guide
  • 21 Days 
  • Making of a Leader


Get the eBook: Dove's Fire Ministries Publications


Kindle & Print:  Amazon Bookstore

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 13, 2024 at 5:02 AM

    It’s funny trying to be positive as a caregiver. Sometimes I think, “well things can’t get worse” and guess what, THINGS CAN AND DO! It’s better just to take one day at a time. Perhaps there is hope your boys condition will slowly improve. I pray so. There is no hope for my hubby. His condition is degenerative and slowly progressive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeanie OlingerAugust 14, 2024 at 6:50 AM

      Things can fluctuate minute by minute - or second by second, can't they? Each caregiving journey is so unique and has totally different emotions - it's much different taking care of a spouse, a parent, a child, or another family member. I had the honor of caring for my aunt for the last 3 years of her life. No matter how it's sliced or diced - it's hard. But God gives us grace.

      Delete

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