Every Detail?
There are lots of things caregivers don't talk about. You know the nitty-gritty details of daily living. It's okay - we don't necessarily want to talk about those details, and others don't really want to hear about them. It's better if they don't know! Lol. But can I just say that God doesn't miss a thing?
I was reminded of this while reading in Psalm 37 this morning. Verse 23 says that the Lord directs our steps. I know this is true - but there are days I have some questions for Him. Oh, I'll keep following Him, of course. But I do wonder how and why my steps led me here. No time to stop, though, gotta keep walking.
The next part of verse 23 says that He delights in every detail of our lives. (NLT) Really? I'm pretty sure that when David penned this Psalm, he wasn't thinking along the lines of caregiving. Although, there was the time he took in Jonathan's son, Miphibosheth, and provided his care for the rest of his life. But this psalm seems to deal with the wicked and how God preserves those who trust in Him.
I have to remind myself that God is in the details, and He watches over every part of my life. He sees it all. The good, the bad, and the ugly parts of caregiving. He knows when we are joyous and when our hearts break. He gets the struggles and triumphs of caregiving. And He even knows when the struggles far outweigh the triumphs.
To clarify, I'm pretty sure He's not up there delighting in our struggles. He gets the hard parts and understands the struggles. I do believe that He rejoices when we invite Him into our day, messy as it may be. His delight is being with us and walking with us through the day-to-day details.
God enjoys being a part of every care, every tear, every joy, because He's an up-close-and-personal kind of God. Maybe it's difficult to understand because, for the most part, people check out of our lives more than they check in. I have no judgment against them. They don't know what to do or what to say, so they distance themselves.
God isn't like that, though. In fact, the uglier it gets, the closer He moves in. He delights in being allowed to be a part of a life that is broken. His specialty is pouring in grace and stirring up mercy to help us make it through the day. He just wants to be near. To comfort. To encourage and strengthen. And we get to know Him in a uniquely different way than those who are proud and unbroken.
His delight is not in the brokenness, but in the nearness we allow in our broken state. I don't know about you, but I can say I've learned so much about God on this journey. My definition of faith has changed, and I gain comfort from knowing He is near and with me in all the details others don't want to know about caregiving. He understands.
Today, as I go about my day-to-day caregiving tasks, I'll remind myself that God doesn't turn a blind eye to the details. I'll think about how He's not afraid to be near me when I am the most broken and vulnerable. My meditation will be on how He scoops my frail self up into His strong arms and cares for me with a greater love than I have for my son. Geez. I think I can trust a God like that - the One who stays - with one more day. Will you join me?
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Affirmations for Caregivers
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