Even If...

 

Kyrie's drawing of us with Chris in his wheelchair

I've spent quite a bit of time in Nehemiah the last year or so. I taught a class via Zoom in Pakistan, and we went through the entire book. I am currently turning all those notes into a study guide. Hopefully, I'll make better progress on it and get it done soon! 

I didn't realize how full of prophetic action Nehemiah is. Intriguing as that is, it's not usually that that draws me back over and over. I also used Nehemiah for my leadership conferences. It's such a great book for all of us, and for leaders. It works for leadership, and that's why I included Nehemiah in the four men studied in Making of a Leader.

So, this morning, I found myself going back through Nehemiah. Honestly, I looked at the first page of the book and thought, why isn't this more marked up? lol. As my eyes ran back over chapter 1, a phrase jumped out at me. It's in verse 9. It is in Nehemiah's prayer, and he says, even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back... This was God's promise, and Nehemiah's prayer was reiterating it.

I loved the part even if you're exiled....He will come! 

Boy, does caregiving feel like being exiled sometimes. 

The definition of exile is to be cut off from one's home country or land. Of course, it's usually for political reasons or punishment. So.. that means God is telling His children that even if He punishes them by sending them into exile - He's still coming for them! Their mess-ups weren't enough to keep Him away. 

I love that. Why? Because if His heart is still to go get His children who were exiled because they sinned - they were cut off because of their own inadequacies, then I have more confidence that He's going to come looking for me too!

Today, even if I feel cut off from life and "norms" - I will trust that He is on His way to get me! He won't leave me in exile, and God doesn't like being cut off from His people, including caregivers! He will always come. I'll remind myself that He already had a plan for us to get back to Him before Adam and Eve sinned. The cross wasn't a backup plan. His grace wasn't a just-in-case plan. He had a real plan to redeem us before the Garden, before He said, let there be light. I trust He will come for my exiled emotions today. Will you join me?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Cover of the James Bible study guide

Are you ready for live Bible study classes? I'm ready to get them started back up. We'll be starting with the book of James. 

Classes start July 2 and go for 6 weeks (Thursday nights 7-8 pm (CST))

The physical book is included in the course. 

Get ready and get signed up! This is going to be fun! Sign up link.

 #bibestudy #devotionals #morningdevotions



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