Jakob's Kids

 I'm an honest person, and I'll be the first to tell you that my responses are not always that great. In fact, I fail in that area a LOT! My first response is pretty much to freak out. Then, when I think it all through and finally pray, I'll act a little better.  Maybe, just maybe, I've gotten a little better over the last nearly 18 years of caregiving. 

When we are thrust into crazy situations, our responses can be hectic, unpredictable, and extreme. Once we walk it out a little bit, some of the craziness of caregiving becomes normal to us. That's sad, right? LOL. But I think we don't tend to freak out quite as fast as we think it through and develop a solution. That's because caregivers are awesome problem solvers and critical thinkers. The nature of what we do demands it. 

This week, I've been exploring some responses in the Bible. First, I looked at the Children of Israel. God comes in with His strong arm and rescues them out of bondage. As they journey across the wilderness headed for the Promised Land, they gripe, whine, and complain about everything. I can't say as I blame them as much as I identify with them. Trauma breeds worry and insecurity. But they let their worry and insecurity blind them from seeing what God was doing in and among them. And they did that for the whole journey! They never seemed to figure out who God was and all He was doing for them.

Then, there's Job. He had a horrible day. Our worst days were not quite as bad as his worst day, even though some of us might get pretty close to it! He got domino reports, and as they fell, he ended up losing everything. Job 1:20 says when the final report had been shared and he realized everything was gone.. He:

• tore is robe in grief
• shaved his head (sign of deep sorrow and mourning)
• fell to the ground before God
• didn't blame God

What an appropriate response to terrible news that just kept coming. Job allowed himself to display grief and mourning as was the custom of the day. It was totally acceptable. Sadly, as caregivers, our grief is not understood. Society doesn't allow us to express this living grief, such as the loss of a loved one who is still with us. We are ignored. Socially silenced or even shunned in some circles. Thankfully, God allows us to bring it all before Him! 

Let's compare these two responses. Jakob's kids: whining, crying, moaning, arguing... always thinking God is out to get them every time something went wrong. Failed to see God's protection and provision. Then there's Job. Everything DID fall apart, and he still declares he will trust God no matter what. The Children of Israel tested God. Job trusted God. I dare say that I have been in both camps. But hopefully I am settling into the God's gonna take care of it (and me) camp. 

Today, I'll remind myself that God's still in control even on my worst days. When crazy, unpredictable, or horrible things happen, God's not punishing me. Instead, He is nurturing me through the wilderness of life. He hasn't and won't abandon me. He hadn't abandoned Job. He didn't even abandon the cranky Israelites. He stayed with them. Kept feeding them. Kept leading them. Kept defeating the enemies before them and pressing them toward His promise. I'm pretty sure He will do the same for us! I believe 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.