The Night Watch

 

Chris looking at himself in a mirror

Soldiers may understand the night watch. It's never an easy post. It's tedious and tiring. But they have to stay alert. It's a life-or-death situation. Maybe second to military personnel, the caregiver understands the night watches. There are those times when it is midnight dark in the middle of the day. Our soul craves normal. We long for peace, and maybe just a little bit of help now and then. 

The psalmist said, I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night. (Psalm 63:6) I'm not sure what I've done all night could be classified as “meditating.” Maybe whining, complaining, asking God why or why not. And you know what? I think God sees past my ugly cry spells to the gut of the matter - I'm still reaching for Him. No matter how dark it is, even in the day, my heart keeps searching for Him.

In the next verses, the psalmist says, I think how much You have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of Your protecting wings. I follow close behind You; Your strong right hand holds me securely. (Psalm 63:7,8 NLT)  

What a beautiful picture that paints. I can imagine being underneath the load, partially collapsed, on the ground, in the shadows... of His wings. From there, I can reassure myself that He is holding me securely even in the darkest, most difficult days of caregiving. The load may change. It might be financial difficulties (which is common to caregivers), maybe today it is the living grief, or perhaps it is exhaustion. No matter what is holding us in the shadows, His wings are spread over us for protection, and His hand continues to hold us.

Today, I will think about how even if I fall or if I stumble under the caregiving load, He's still got me covered, and He's not letting me go! He has enough strength to keep holding on, even when I don't! My heart will follow His, and I am intent on reaching for Him with whatever strength I have left. I know He's got me and that's why I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

_____________________________________________

Affirmations for Caregivers

Cover of Affirmations for Caregivers
I wrote Affirmations for Caregivers because it was what I needed to hear! This 31-day journal includes 31 scripturally based affirmations. Each day, the affirmation is followed by a short writing prompt and a verse or two to read. I also have videos on YouTube that coincide with each day's affirmation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Our Most Popular Posts

Find a New Hobby for These Surprising Benefits

Image
   Hobbies can help us connect to our creative side, spend quality time with our loved ones , and boost confidence, and, as EverydayPower.com notes, they can also promote mental and physical wellness . Whether you’re learning something new from a class or taking the initiative to tackle a project at home, practicing a hobby can improve your quality of life enormously. Looking for something fun to do with a friend or loved one?   Here are a few suggestions when you’re ready to find a fun new hobby to try:   Choose something that boosts your health   It can be challenging to take care of your overall wellness at times, especially when you’re busy taking care of family obligations. Learning to focus on your physical and mental health needs is much easier when it’s fun, however, and that’s where a hobby comes in. Look for one that helps you get active , such as a yoga class, or consider starting a walking group or joining a local organization that allow...
Read more

But I Have Today

Image
Do you ever have days that are just heavier than others? Of course, you do - who am I talking to? Saturday was Chris' 37th birthday. For some reason, it was unusually hard as I thought of where all his friends are today. You know, married, having kids, and enjoying their careers. I cried more than once that day. I grieved over what should have been, what could have been.  I hugged him a little tighter and thought about the progress he's made recently. The other night, I am certain he "sang" to me after I got him in bed. It was the sweetest thing and I posted it in his Facebook group where I share things I don't feel I can share as "publicly." He's moving more and initiating more of his movement on his own. There are many things to rejoice about. At the same time, I am getting older. My joints hurt and I wonder how much longer I can take care of him. I fear the day that I won't be able to. This is the way the rest of my life looks, and I am okay w...
Read more

No Get Out of Jail Free Cards?

Image
  Do you ever feel like life just doesn't let up? Sometimes it seems like caregivers should get some sort of exempt card. You know? Something that lets us stay in the cave without having to deal with all the craziness that's going on in the world. Well, it was just a thought. I guess there are no "get out of jail free cards" in life. A pandemic rages on and we didn't get an exempt card, did we? Political and civil unrest didn't qualify us for one either. We have to deal with all the craziness in the world plus our caregiving responsibilities. Isn't caregiving enough? Dealing with aids who don't show, people and family who do not know how to help so they avoid us, and the traffic of health care professionals of all sorts is enough for any given day. Yet it happens over and over again. How do we stay sane?  Caregivers are resilient - we just keep going. Every night I go to bed feeling like I failed. I didn't get enough done. It's easy to focus on...
Read more