Wiped Out

 Do you ever just feel wiped out? Who am I talking to? Of course, you do from time to time; you're a caregiver! Lol. This weekend I pushed extra hard to get a couple of projects done for work as they are both big projects and both are due by the last day of the month. Of course, none of the caregiving responsibilities are put on hold while I try to cram extra hours on the clock to finish up the projects. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for the work, but also tired because of the extra expenditure of energy. Wiped out is about as close as I can get to how I feel this morning - and there's still more to do! Plus, caregiving doesn't have a "hold" button.

During my brief personal devotions this morning, I was pretty sure I was too tired to hold my Bible up so I could read it. Lol. That's not really much of an exaggeration. That reminded me of a time in my life that was far worse. I really was too tired to hold my Bible up. It was 1986, and I was sick with a mystery illness that no one ever figured out. (The Year Orange Juice Saved My Life) It just goes to show that no matter how weighted down we feel or how tired we get - there is usually a worse scenario to compare it to.

As usual, I scraped myself out of the bed and got started with my day. I know you've done it a million times, too. It's just what we do. We have things that simply will not wait for us to recharge. There are tons of daily things that must be done for our loved ones, no matter how we feel physically or emotionally. 

We nip and tuck and cut our own wants, desires, and needs so we can care for others. You know what? God sees that. He sees every time you put what you want on hold or delete it altogether because your loved one needs something. It made me think about the Children of Israel. They were enslaved because of Pharoah's fear, and their own fear took over. For years, they were oppressed, mistreated, and forgotten. But God saw them. He went to Moses and said - It's time to go get my people and bring them to me! 

Exodus 12:40 (NLT) says that God brought them out of Egypt on the last day of their 430 years of slavery. Y'all - He counted the days. He was so in tune with what was going on with them, He knew the second everything shifted and they were sucked into slavery and oppressed. We can be sure that God sees us, too! He knows every detail of every caregiving day in and out. He sees those long, lonely days where we long for conversation. He sees the long, dark nights where we watch over our loved ones with prayer. He sees the silent tears as they slide down our cheeks. He even gets our long, deep sighs. He gets every emotion, every feeling, every unspeakable in our hearts. And His mercies are still renewed for us each morning.

Today, I will remind myself that His mercies are refreshed and renewed just for me! I will encourage myself by reminding myself of all He's already brought me through - and today is NOT the day He plans on changing one thing. My thoughts will be on His soul-sustaining power and I'll remember to wait on Him for strength. Because of all He's already brought me through - I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

Check out one of my best-selling books - 31 Days in Psalm 31. It's a devotional taken from Psalm 31 (obviously!) - a time when David was hiding in a cave from Saul - even though he'd been anointed the next king. The social isolation of caregiving can certainly make it feel like we live in a cave, but God is there with us. And that's what this 31-day devotional is all about, exploring and discovering God in the caves of life. You can get the eBook from my shop at Buy Me A Coffee. Or the print and kindle versions are available in my Amazon Shop.