Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 This morning, I've been thinking a lot about when Peter walked on water. It's funny how we label the story that way, isn't it? Why not call it "The night 11 of the disciples were too afraid to move"? Why not call it "Water walking with all the other boats in the same storm looking on"? Most of the time, I've heard it referred to as when Peter walked on the water, Jesus walked on the water, or Jesus calmed the storm. No matter what perspective we view the account in Matthew 14, several things were going on at the same time. There are a few things that stick out in these few verses. Of course, we know that Jesus ultimately brought peace. He calmed the storm that He had sent His disciples into just a few short hours earlier. He also came to His disciples in the middle of the storm. He didn't wait until the storm calmed - and He didn't calm the storm before He headed over toward their boat. Now that's a thought - He could have calmed the sto...

 I was visiting with a lady from Alaska yesterday. She was telling me about a ministry she helps with and she said they had a main scripture. It made me wonder if I needed one. I thought about what she'd said for some time, but couldn't settle on a single scripture that I would call my "life scripture." You know? My favorite passages change from day to day. Sometimes, it's from moment to moment! I can say I have a lot of go-to scriptures. We talk about a lot of them here. Psalm 46:1 - God is my refuge and strength - a very present help in time of trouble. I go to that one a lot. But I have held onto Psalm 57:1 for years and declared that I will stay under His shadow and shelter until calamities are past. On any given day I may meditate on any number of verses I've read in my devotions or just a random one that comes to mind. Since His word is alive - and it's in us - you just never know which one may pop up! Maybe that's why it's so important to hi...

 Early on in my caregiving journey - before I even realized I was on the journey - I kept thinking God was going to ride in on His white horse and rescue me. I recall sitting in the SICU waiting room thinking I would either wake up and it'd be a horrible bad dream. Or that Chris would just wake up and start getting better. I never dreamed I'd be still caring for him 13 years later. There was no way I could have even imagined here - from there. I had no idea what here  looked like. Needless to say, there was no white horse; and there was no dramatic rescue.  However, what did happen was that time after time, day after day, moment after moment, God kept rescuing my soul from the emotional dungeon that was trying to drag my heart into its pit. He never abandoned me or left me no matter how bad it got or how badly I behaved. (Yes, I did that.) Instead, I found His calming presence always nearby waiting for me to calm down enough to accept and embrace His peace. God didn't rid...

  I found myself in a very familiar story this morning as I was preparing for live devotions on Facebook. It's in Matthew 14:22-33. We know this story as the time Jesus came walking on the water. It's also familiar because Peter jumped out of the boat and walked on the water to get to Jesus. Have you ever been in a place where it felt like it would take a miracle for you to get to God?  There were several things that stood out in this story. I hope you take a minute to read it again today. I like that Jesus took time for solitude and prayer. What an example for us. If He needed it - we certainly do!  I like that Jesus stepped out into the storm  to get to his weary, frightened disciples who were still trying to row the boat. (That's us - huh?) They were frightened at first. But then they recognized Him. He told them to not be afraid. They knew His voice because He simply said, I am here. (NLT) Then Peter who is known to be a bit impulsive calls out. He said, If it's ...

If anyone understands me I know it's you, my fellow caregivers. And thankfully, we are a forgiving bunch. I know I've been MIA for quite awhile but I'm refocused and ready to go again. I found myself totally overwhelmed by everything and just had to unplug for a bit. I'm all plugged in now and we're good. Of course, caregivers can't unplug  like others can as there are some things that simply cannot be let go. Even if we "take a break" there are some things that can't be ignored. I can cut back on my work, rearrange my daily schedule, simplify my daily processes like cooking and cleaning - but caregiving can't be "cut back" on. Each day is about the same whether we're feeling it or not. We don't get to just break from bathing, feeding, dressing, or exercising our loved one just because we're on overload. Add to that complicated situation those things that may seem simple to others like aides that don't show up ...

Other than the social isolation of caregiving, I think the wrestling with depression is one of the most difficult things I deal with. I can be fine, having a good day and some memory or small challenge can spark a deluge of emotions that send me off into la-la land. It doesn't take much, honestly. I'd like to say I'm alone in these emotional roller coaster rides, but from what reading I have done, it's common for the caregiver. Over the last few weeks, the struggle has been so real as I'm sure it is for many. This morning I found myself trying once again to pull myself out of the caregiver's fog. I was actually thinking about storms and how natural storms pass. Caregiving does not. And for my situation I'm looking at a life that looks just like this for the rest of my life. It does get to me from time to time. So, I went to the Word looking for the story of Jesus and His disciples facing the storm in the boat. I found it in Mark chapter 4. But the para...

My latest personal devotions have been spent in 1 Peter. The epistles are among my favorite scriptures because they are just so rich! This morning I got stuck on 1 Peter 1:4. This passage is wonderful, but a few words in this scripture demanded my attention this morning. Verse 4 says we obtain an inheritance which is imperishable,  and undefiled , and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. The words which I bolded are the ones which grabbed my attention. Our inheritance in the Lord cannot fade away, be defiled or perish. That might not seem like too big of a deal to a lot of people, but for me as a caregiver sometimes I start to feel like a second class citizen all the way around. I feel the loss of a "normal" life, and feel like I can't get out and do things like so many get to enjoy. When my son was first injured, my life stopped and in many aspects it's never begun again. It's changed; but it's anything but "normal." Many days I g...

Yesterday I talked about the flowers along the trail and it made me want to get back out there and get a few pictures. So when the aide got here I went out just to enjoy running the trail and stopping to get pictures. I found this solitary flower along the way. I think it grabbed my attention because just a while back there were rows and rows of flowers and this one was standing there all alone. My mind went off on its own rabbit trail when I saw it. My first thought was how it was alone with no other flowers around it to add or detract from its beauty. But then I thought about all that it takes for this single plant to survive. Maybe that small cluster of flowers thinks its all alone in this small, but harsh wilderness; but there is a more than what meets the eye. Many elements come together for this little flower. The leaves use the process of photosynthesis to keep the flower alive and the stem helps it stand tall so the sun and leaves can do their work. And there is an enti...