Follow the Leader!

We do what we do out of genuine love. Caring for our loved ones is our number one priority. It's so easy for us to get lost in the process, which means that as caregivers, we deal with social isolation. The loss of our social life can weigh heavily on us, even if we can get out and about some; there are times we feel imprisoned by our circumstances. Personally, I've missed weddings to funerals, and everything in between, because of caregiving duties and a lack of help. I'm not complaining, just stating the facts.

That's why this phrase in Isaiah 49:9 grabbed my attention. This chapter is Isaiah's commission from the Lord. God is giving him instructions and explaining the mission. Part of this mission is to tell the prisoners of darkness to come out into freedom. (NLT) As I read that phrase, prisoners of darkness I felt like I could relate on some level. Of course, this is talking about stepping from darkness into the light and the basics of salvation. (IMO) But on some level, I felt it in my soul.

Caregiving is complicated, and it can force us into a strange loneliness that can't quite be explained. It's a loneliness that doesn't go away when we do get the chance to be with others. We may feel like we stand way out in a crowd. Even though I was a very social person BC (before caregiving), I often have social anxiety and choose to stay home rather than expose myself to the unknowns of socialization. 

Caregiving can be confining in so many ways; it can feel like a prison at times. But, I wouldn't say that we are prisoners of darkness, because we are still children of the light! God didn't take that back when we became caregivers! Here's the cool part: God loves walking right into the "prison cells" of life, just so He can show us what freedom really looks like. 

God explains to Isaiah that the former prisoners of darkness will become His sheep! They will eat where it wasn't possible before. Even though Isaiah wasn't a shepherd like David, God shares this picture of our Good Shepherd that the psalmist shares in Psalm 23. He leads me to green pastures. Not just any pastures, either! 

Isaiah says the hills were bare; there was no sustenance. But God caused the growth and then lead His sheep straight to them so they could be filled. Sometimes our lives can feel barren and bare. But when we follow Him, when we allow Him to "shepherd" us, we'll find ourselves in luscious green pastures and beside still, soul-refreshing waters. Our job then is to let Him lead us. We say we are followers of Christ, who is the Great Shepherd, right?

Today, I will let God lead my soul wherever it needs to go to find green pastures, refreshing, and His peace. To follow someone requires the highest level of trust, especially when you're not sure where you're going. If God has proven anything to me in my caregiving years, it's that He is trustworthy. I will trust Him today to take the lead. I won't fight. I won't be stubborn. I'll just follow Him and trust Him for the grace to make one more day. Will you join me?

 Peace Out! It's in the Bible is a 31-day devotional that is focused on letting God's peace reign in our hearts - no matter what. 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.