Where's The Button?

Chris and I at Overholster lake trails

 I recently did a series on Nehemiah, and I plan on writing a study guide eventually. We'll see how soon that happens. Lol. One of the things that stood out to me was Nehemiah's determination. He had real grit. He had a lot going on. Nehemiah had to convince the people to help, then organize them into groups, and oversee the work to ensure it was done correctly. He was a great leader.

It didn't seem quite fair to me that while he was working and providing leadership, people were constantly plotting against the project. His enemies, who hated Jerusalem for some reason, worked just as diligently as Nehemiah did. But they were opposing the progress. What a vicious cycle!

Nehemiah gives us a glimpse of his overall strategy during this time, though. IN chapter 4, verse 14, he tells the people to do three things:

  • Do not be afraid.
  • Remember the Lord.
  • Fight 
As caregivers, there are days when it feels like everything is pressing against us. We can feel like Paul when he said, fighting without and fears within. (2 Cor. 7:5) But caregivers are tenacious warriors like Nehemiah. We don't give up even in the face of daily struggles and fears. We keep pressing on. 

I did wonder, though, is there a No Fear button to push? Nehemiah told the people not to fear, like it was as easy as turning it off. I'd love to know how to just turn off fear. It can come in so many packages and look so different for each of us. I don't know about you, but any given day, I can have thousands of what-if questions float through my mind. Any one of them can incite fear. 

Nehemiah didn't stop after telling others to not be afraid. He also said, Remember the Lord. Maybe that's the key, right? But it's also actionable. We must turn down the volume to our fears and look toward the Lord. When we look at Him - the storm, the situation, the circumstances, will all pale in comparison. Then, we can fight.

I'll be the first to admit that caregiving is a constant fight. We fight and advocate for our loved ones daily. At the same time, we have to fight for our own sanity. Am I right? LOL. Seriously. There are no magic buttons. We must constantly look back to Him just to make it through our days.

Today, I'll remind myself that I don't have to be afraid because the One I trust is in this storm with me. He will not abandon me when it gets tougher. I won't look up to see that He moved on to something more important. He will walk through this with me and carry me as needed. I will trust Him to do that today. Will you join me?


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Cover of the devotional 31 Days in Psalm 31

BOOK OF THE WEEK: 31 Days in Psalm 31 What was David thinking about during some of his hardest trials? 31 Days in Psalm 31 is a devotional that spends 31 days with God in the cave. 


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