Just Before the Dawn

Have you ever stopped to count how many all-nighters you've pulled as a caregiver? I can't imagine even trying to count how many sleepless nights I've spent. Thankfully, I haven't needed to do it for a long time, but boy, have there been a lot of them. I am pretty sure that this is not unusual for most caregivers. Those long nights are just going to happen.

There's an old saying it's always darkest right before the dawn. In nature, this holds true. I've found it mostly true sitting in waiting rooms and hospital rooms, too. But once it hits about 4 am, the night feels over and the day begins to be upon us.

There are a lot of people who work nights for a living. I don't know how they do it! My daughter recently became a respiratory therapist and chooses to work nights. Soldiers often serve night watches because someone's always got to be watching in the battle. That's what David references in Psalm 130. In verse 6, David says, My soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning. Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. (NLT 1996)

David had spent countless nights waiting and watching for morning, too. He'd longingly watched for the morning as a warrior on many occasions. David had also waited for first light many times when he was hiding out and running from an angry, jealous Saul who wanted to kill him. I think he understood long nights and earned the right to write about them.

There is something about just making it to morning that makes things better. David references that longing for morning in this verse. But he says that he longs for God more! I love that attitude. Between 2 and 4 in the morning, there's nothing a soul wants more than to see the light of a new day. Somehow, it brings a little hope and sets things right, even if just for a short time.

As caregivers, our souls can always be longing for morning to dawn. For many, if not most, we live in what Oswald Chambers called the dark night of the soul. I hope to turn that longing into waiting on God. He is the only light to our souls, and He is the only hope we have in our situations.

Today, I will remind myself that God is walking with me through the dark night of my soul. He doesn't miss a thing. The heavy sighs. The tears that don't fall. The silent prayers and cries for help that come from deep within the soul. He gets it. He gets us. I will meditate on how He already planned for us to have hope and peace before caregiving. His plan is to walk with us through every single moment. My meditations will be on how our situations are not foreign to Him and He infuses His grace, mercy, and peace into every second of every day. My prayer is that He will open my eyes so I can see Him at work in my situation while I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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Affirmations for Caregivers

I wrote Affirmations for Caregivers because it was what I needed to hear! This 31-day journal includes 31 scripturally based affirmations. Each day, the affirmation is followed by a short writing prompt and a verse or two to read. I also have videos on YouTube that coincide with each day's affirmation.