Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 I'm still in Isaiah 41 today! But today, I'm looking at verses 17 to 20. It's a rich passage for us caregivers. It talks about the poor and needy, and how they fail for thirst. But God promises to hear them and not forsake them. I feel poor sometimes. And as much as I hate it, I feel needy sometimes. But God is here. He hears the pain in our tears and feels the dispair in our fears. He doesn't stop with helping us and hearing us though. Here are some of the things He says He will do for us: open rivers in desolate areas cause fountains to spring up in valleys make pools of water in the wilderness place springs in the dry land As He carries out these magnificent feats, these barren places begin to sprout and bring forth vegetation. In my mind, I picture a desert becoming an oasis. It's like a feast for the eyes and soul in the middle of a barren, dry place. A dessert in the desert if you will. It always amazes me how God can take those broken areas of our lives and ...

I've been lost in thought the last few weeks, and of course busy with the holidays. Now that Christmas is past, I've turned my thoughts toward a new year. This morning I woke up thinking about some of the rough times that occurred this year. I immediately thought - but the word of God stands forever. It doesn't change due to our circumstances. I looked up the scripture reference and found it in 1 Peter. But he was simply quoting the verse from Isaiah 40. Verse 8 says this: the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Since I like to look at things in context, I backed up a bit and started reading the first verse of the chapter. It's about comfort and how He is bringing an end to our warfare. Quite honestly, I got nothing on that. Caregiving is still going on. It's still complicated. It's still hurtful. It's still discouraging. However, in verse 3 I found something I could meditate on. Verse 3 of Isaiah 40 says this: A ...

When tragedy struck and my world was shaken I had to find a way to figure out what was going on. I have to admit my faith (or what I thought had been faith) was shaken as well. There were times I was angry with God and didn't understand how He could let awful things happen. I began to read His word with new eyes. It didn't take long to realize that the Bible is full of stories about hurting people and our heroes are our heroes because  of the things they faced - not the things they avoided. This morning I found this scripture as I was reading Isaiah. In chapter 48 verse 21 it says They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.  I'm thinking there are several key points here the first being that they didn't thirst  even in the desert. He provided all along the way and this is something I can attest to. I've always seen God provide and never questioned it at all, but when my son was injured in an accident and my world turned upside down I sat in a hospita...

Overall the life of a caregiver can be stressful; and that's summing it up mildly. We can have so many variables in just one day that it would be wrong to say it's anywhere close to normal . And really for each caregiver the situational demands are so varied there's no way to compare those either. And just like normal people we have good days and bad days...I am pretty sure that's just a given with life! lol!  And for those of you who are not caregivers, just remember that on top of the transfers, feeding tubes, incontinence issues, bathing, physical therapy and a wide variety of other tasks that must be done in a day - we still have those normal things too - dishes, laundry, cleaning the house and keeping up the yard!  But there are those times during the stress and stain of a common day - that He steps in. I am not sure there's a way to explain it; but the peace that comes in those moments where we are so aware of Him carrying us through..well, it's simpl...

Sometimes (not all times) life can seem so barren, dry and unfruitful! It's can be difficult to see past our own four walls. If we are not careful we can focus on our own situations so much we fail to see that there is a world of hurting people out there . And yet all of us share His same promises for provision, peace and comfort. Perhaps it's because of how we used to measure fruitfulness. Many have measured fruitfulness by church activities. But I have never seen a plant get up and go somewhere else to produce fruit, they produce right where they are planted. And we are to be planted in Him. That is where we will produce fruit. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 2:20) and notice that all the fruit produced although easily observed - is not tangible. Our fruit comes from His indwelling - not from the things we do! Be assured that He will work in you to produce His fruit -  Isaiah 51:3 says this: The Lord will comfort Israel again and make her deserts blossom. Her barren...