Remember?
Memories are a wonderful thing. But they can be haunting at times, too. Sometimes, I cherish the good memories I made with my son before his wreck. Other times, I loathe them because of the loss. But if we can look back on our lives and see it as a whole, as a single action, our memories can help us fight the fight of faith today and going forward.
In Nehemiah 4, they were working hard to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. But it made others mad, for no apparent reason other than they just didn't want Jerusalem to be blessed and succeed. They were under attack by an enemy who wanted to bring confusion and fear. Why? Because those are crippling. We would be correct in labeling them silent killers.
But in chapter 4, verse 14, Nehemiah empowered the workers by telling them this: Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight.... Don't be afraid - just remember God. That turns out to be powerful instructions. It's pretty simple, isn't it? Yet, at times, it can feel so hard to do. There isn't a "fear" button that we can switch off and on, right?
Their enemies had faces and names! They could see them gather to attack or arm themselves, getting ready for another round. Yet, Nehemiah said, Don't fear. Our enemy may not have a face, but it might have a name. (Dementia. Alzheimer's, brain injury...) The reason we are caregivers is staring us down every single day, and it wants us to forget that God is still great and awesome.
Maybe Asaph understood a little bit of our struggle from a very different perspective. In Psalm 77:7-10, he seems to feel like God's mercy has run out. That God has forgotten to be gracious and that He had closed off His tender mercies. But in verse 10, Asaph says that even in his anguish, I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. He goes on to say in the following verses that he will remember the Lord's works and wonders of all. That he will choose to meditate on God's works and talk of His deeds.
Asaph began to encourage himself by remembering what God had done before, even though he didn't see God moving in His current situation. Can we relate on one level or another? Sometimes, one of the most frustrating parts of caregiving is feeling like God isn't doing anything in my now. But we can remember all that He has done before. Then, like Asaph, we can use that to encourage our hearts and remind ourselves that God is moving, whether we see it or not, whether we feel it or not.
Today, I'll remind myself of all the wonderful things I know God has done for me. I'll think about the times it seemed He moved heaven and hell to get to me, to help me, to let me know He was watching out for me. I'll encourage myself by telling myself that He never leaves and He never changes, and He doesn't respond to the ebbs and flows of life like my crazy emotions do! I'll be thankful that He is still on the throne. He is still with me, and I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?
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Affirmations for Caregivers
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