Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 I do not think that all caregivers are depressed! Lol. But I do think that as a society, we deal with depression a lot. Mental health is a hot topic, and as caregivers, we have to be in charge of our own mental health. And that can be a very rough road. Not to brag, but I can go from totally elated (90 miles an hour) to utterly depressed (0 miles an hour) in just about a second and a half. Things hit us hard, and it can be a constant struggle to keep our heads above water, so to speak.  I've shared a few strategies for beating caregiver's fog, which really stems from overwhelm and emotional stress. Each day can feel like a struggle to breathe emotionally, and many of us do it alone. I think that's why Psalm 25:16 captured me. David said he was alone and depressed.  Two things the church culture doesn't want us to admit. Why? They don't know what to do with it and with us - because we cannot just confess it away. We can beat it, but we have to do it over and over a...

Does it seem to you, my fellow caregivers, that other things in life weigh a bit more than they should? It's like we carry so much that the smallest concern weighs us down even more. We often experience living grief,  and the losses seem to add up and weigh more as we go along. Even the smallest loss can send us off on an emotional journey we didn't bargain for. I don't know, maybe it's just me?!? We can be joyful, thankful, grateful, and find ways to manage and hopefully minimize caregiver stress , but it's still heavy sometimes. This is especially real for those who walk this caregiving journey alone.  Over the weekend, I read and reread Psalm 25. As I tried to unpack it all, I found there is really a lot going on in this psalm. David, the writer, is reconfirming and declaring that he will continue to trust the Lord no matter what the battle looks like, feels like, or what life throws at him. This prayerful psalm is a request for mercy. For deliverance. For God...