Daily Devotions for Caregivers

  This morning during my FaceBook live devotion "Peace Out!", I talked about 1 Peter 2:9 and how we can take all of our concerns to God. Nothing is too big for Him to handle, and nothing is too small for His attention. I mentioned that as a caregiver, I take care of all of my son's needs. I don't have a list of exclusions or things I am unwilling to do. I'm invested in him - and see to him from head to toe. God is the same way about us. He wants us to take our cares to Him - all of them. Just like I take care of my son's whole being - God wants to take care of us wholely. There's no part of Chris I don't take care of. If I don't have the skills (which never happens with God!), then I find someone who does so they can help.  God is our ultimate caregiver. He cares for us - and He can do the caring for us when we let  Him. I love that I can bring Him every little thing that I am concerned about and He won't turn me away or turn me down. He doesn...

As caregivers we are able to get in there and get things done. It sort of comes with the territory. No matter what our basic personality is, in just a short time of caregiving is good schooling on this topic. We learn rather quickly that in many cases, advocating for our loved one means rolling up our sleeves and getting 'er done. Too bad there's not a Caregivers   University w here we can go to learn the skills needed. We could get a diploma once we learned it all and of course passed our internship  where we learned all the ropes using a hands-on approach. Of course I am speaking tongue-in-cheek as it would be impossible for someone to teach us what we've learned. Of course there is no such school and we are not going to get a diploma for our learning. But we do a lot of learning about a lot of things once we become a caregiver, including things about ourselves. Even though I'm pretty high strung and hyper most of the time I let a lot of things slide as a person...

On any given day the frustrations can mount! (maybe it's just me....) You actually schedule a quick trip to the store to grab a few items and the aid doesn't show! Or you plan an outing and your loved one is not up to par. Maybe you've called the doctor and they did not return your phone call. For me it can be the fact that my son didn't eat at all, or he will not cooperate with his exercises! Some things that seem like small things can add up to be huge on days when tensions run tight! (like spilling the bath water, tripping over a rug that's been there for months or forgetting where you put the box cutter the day supplies come in! lol!) If we are not careful there are so many things to do any given day that we can live life wound up like a taut rubber band. Trying to maintain a quiet spirit is something we might laugh at!  But in 1 Peter 3:4 the apostle says that a gentle and quiet spirit is precious in the sight of God ...This attitude is what we are to be ado...

When I am preparing to do a devotion for caregivers a lot of times I ask myself what do I need to hear today? It helps me at least find a starting place most of the time. And to be honest right now, I just need to hear that God is somewhere...hopefully nearer than I feel! Did you ever feel that way, or is it just me?  This of course is where faith steps in and won't let us believe anything except that He is near . It's so ingrained in us that we know that's the right answer whether we feel  it or not! And it may not look like it to anyone else - but isn't that what true faith is all about...believing is the substance of the things we cannot see...or feel...or sense! But it even goes beyond the shallow religious teachings...because He is not just here to see to it that we attend church! He is with us on the journey. If God doesn't live outside the walls of the church then the caregiver is without hope for our daily lives....and beyond!  The hope He gives cannot...

Josiah has always been an intriguing OT character to me. He became king as such an early age and then the Bible says he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. (2 Kings22) It also says in the NLT that he followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn aside from doing what was right. The young man vehemently followed God's law as it was revealed to him. And in chapter 23 this young king read the entire Book of the Covenant  to the people. And then he (in his place of authority) renewed the covenant in the Lord's presence. Can you imagine if any nation's leader would actually take the time to read the entire covenant to the people of the land? I will admit that we are only talking about Genesis to Deuteronomy. But even that would be amazing. And then to have such leaders who would stand and say This is our covenant with the Lord and we will keep our end of it and serve Him alone. ...sorry for the skepticism but it is a nice dream...  Let's just ...

You know how easily the caregiver's emotions can jump around! (or is it just me?) It's like we live on the edge and any tiny little thing can tip us right on off. Frustrations can build and there can seem to be no quick way to reel it all back in. And for me - I get just plain mad...at the situation, at the church, at other people, and yes... at God. (not that this is very profitable - but at least it's honest!)  I really think He understands though. He created us to have emotions and His love (which is an emotion and an action) is what drove Him to make sure that man had a way to get back to Him. He knows that we are just flesh... He created us! He realizes that we are only dust ...but made in His image. And according to Psalm 139 He is very intimately acquainted with all of our ways to the point that He knows our words before they were thoughts.That's just amazing to me...that God is so vast - and yet took such care with the intricate details of our makeup.  It...

Yeah, I know I sort of made up a knew word, comfort-able is not the proper spelling but it conveys the thought...or should in a minute when I get done! lol ! The cares of the day can start very early in the morning and last long into the night for caregivers. And for some it can also mean a sleepless night, even at best sleep may be broken up into little pieces. Caregivers have to find some comfort somewhere. Most of  the ones who are reading a "devotional" will probably admit that God is the source of comfort. Jesus even said in John 14:16 that He was sending us the Comforter . That the Holy Spirit would walk with us and help us. But the question today is this: are you comfort- able ? Will you allow the Lord to bring comfort to your soul? We don't like to think about it - but it will require some action on our part as well. We will have to make up our minds to slow down for a minute, and let Him comfort our souls. In Psalm 46:10, David penned, Be still and know tha...

For much of my adult life I have quoted this scripture found in Jeremiah 29:11. You probably have heard it thousands of times yourself. He  has good thoughts about us, plans for a future and a hope. But sometimes  when tragic things happen we struggle to figure out what's so good about it. Caregiving can be so stressful on our entire being, physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. It's really hard sometimes to see the good things that He has planned for us. And actually at times, it is impossible! But then you have to remember the audience. God was telling this to people who had been taken captive. They were basically overtaken by another king and their city was captured and destroyed. Yet here we have God telling them all about the good plans He has for them. Just interesting to me! The thing is for me that it is so easy to get my eyes on the immediate surroundings. I have all the responsibilities of caregiving, PLUS trying to figure out how to make mo...

I'm sure as a caregiver you can look back over your journey and see that there have been many players, many helpers. At some point there have been hospital staff or home health personnel who have helped in any one of a wide variety of ways.  And of course somewhere in the mix is a physician and a pharmacist. All these have worked together for the benefit of the patient whether or not they've actually had direct contact with one another. But with all the "help" there is avaialable through the medical system, none of them is "my helper." Psalm 121 says my help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth. When I realize that and meditate on it - it can make today's load a little lighter. He created everything! All the oceans, seas, mountains, caves, forests, valleys and hills are the work of His hand. By His word the sun and the moon do their job and the earth maintains its route in orbit. That God is my help! - sheesh! I guess that sort of makes HI...