Showing posts with label body soul and spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body soul and spirit. Show all posts

We Still Look the Same

So many things may have changed when we became caregivers. For me, I had gotten rid of everything and moved to Chicago from the deep south and was working three jobs in preparation for heading to the mission fields in South Africa. But like many, my plans came to a screeching halt with a single phone call informing me my son had been in an automobile accident and had been medi-flighted to a local hospital in Shreveport. From there the changes were astronomical.

I booked a flight to Shreveport and lived in the hospital for 4 months as I sat by his side. We then went through a series of nursing homes and rehab facilities until I could get my own apartment and have a place to "bring him home" to. It's an understatement to say that everything changed. I now work from home as a writer and have a decent little apartment near my family in Oklahoma.

Over time we all change, we evolve into different roles as life throws new things at us. We develop character as we embrace life changes. I think as caregivers we get used to rolling with the blows since we never know what a day is going to bring and who we may have to confront on behalf of our loved ones. For me - recent changes include stepping into  more of a caregiving role with my parents as they age as well. Even though this brings more changes I still look the same.

Of course I don't look the same physically as I did when I began this caregiving journey, I'm a little fluffier and more wrinkled for sure - I'm not nearly the same person I was. I don't put up with as much silliness and I basically have learned how to fight for others. We learn new skills like advocating on behalf of another and dealing with people who don't want to do their job like aides etc. Supplies -- there you go - just getting the supplies that we are due can be quite a journey. Perhaps we don't think about it - but all these struggles and situations mold us into a new person.

No matter what changes we endure - we still look the same to Him. God still sees us as the exact same person as He always has - and He always will. I think we could compare it to how we see our kids. They grow up and eventually leave home to raise their own family. And even though they go through many physical changes they remain "our little girl" or "our little boy." God sees us like that -- we are still His little girls and boys.

Psalm 139:13 states that He wove us in our mother's womb and that He formed our inward parts. I think that means the insides that make us who we are -- not just our intestines, heart, and liver. Job said it like this: You clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. (Job 10:11) To me this means God sees us from the inside out - He sees us like we really are - what makes us "us" and then He put skin on it. So even though our worlds turned upside down or topsy-turvy we still look the same to the one who loves us most.

Today I will meditate on how God sees the real me - and continues to love me. I will turn my meditations to how He chose for me to be on this planet and even though He put skin on the "real me" He sees way deeper than that. I will think about His closeness today and how He loves me with or without skin on! Even though people treat me different and aren't sure what to do with me - He still thinks I look the same....and He loves me. I'll think about His great love and compassion for me today - will you join me?

Preserved in Him

When I read across this scripture in my morning readings today, I just had to share it. Now all caregivers may not be like me - but my whole world changed with one phone call. My life was jerked away from me in an instant. And although that has been very traumatic in every way possible one good thing is that all my religious thinking has been just as shaken. That's why I so enjoyed my meditations on this verse this morning.

 1 Peter 1:5 says this - ...who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. This whole chapter is worth a good slow read- let it be absorbed into your heart and spirit. But this phrase sort of grabbed me because even though my world was shaken that part of me that is saved - my soul - is very protected by the power of God! Think about that for a minute or two - your body did not get "saved." It's your soul that accepted Him and the changes living in Him brings.

 And while we are still scratching our heads trying to figure out if He actually protects our bodies or not we can rest assured that our souls cannot be touched or damaged in any way - because He protects that part of us. That is the part of us that is hidden in Him and it cannot be disturbed as long as we do not move away!

 Today - take time to meditate on how he protects our hearts  and souls by His power in Christ.

Body, Soul and Spirit

God created us to be a triune being, meaning we are comprised of three parts - we are a spirit being, we have a soul, and all this is housed in our body. Our body is the only temporary part of us and yet we worry more about it than the other two parts many times! Of course it must be well taken care of as it is the only way we can keep our soul and spirit here on earth.

It is interesting to note that there are three consecutive chapters in Isaiah that generally cover all three areas. Isaiah 53,54 and 55. Actually, Isaiah 53 covers all three in itself, but much of it is speaking of the body; or perhaps it is just that we apply it more to the healing of the body - it speaks of all three parts of man in this chapter alone. But in its general reference it is talking about literal stripes upon the physical body of Christ which brings healing to our physical body as well. (side note: just because we do not see our loved ones raised up in an instant does not mean God does not still heal....He just hasn't yet)

Isaiah 54 speaks more to the soulish realm of our being.It begins with a command to "shout for joy." It deals with many emotional areas: shame, humiliation, and fear. And God promises to comfort, be compassionate, and protect.

Chapter 55 speaks of our spiritual sustenance. God invites us to come and eat bread and drink wine and milk that cannot be purchased with money. He invites us to come, listen and seek Him. In this chapter we see that His word (Jesus) will not - did not - return to Him void. Perhaps this is also a picture of the effect His word still has in our spirit man today...as we seek HIm our spirit becomes the ground His word goes into and He will reap what He sows. (check out Hosea 2:21-23 and Matthew 13)

And I think Isaiah 54:10 sums it up well. It says for the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken."  His peace and lovingkindness are not affected or shaken by anything that occurs in the natural. The earth shaking until mountains and hills more around cannot reach His heart nor change His purposes for us. So rest in Him today knowing that He has not changed His mind about you no matter what you are facing!

The Stare

  Do you ever just find yourself sitting and staring at the wall? It doesn't really happen too often because, quite frankly, who has tim...