Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Being a caregiver can often mean long hours shut in at home; this can leave you feeling disconnected from mainstream life. There's no doubt that we cannot enjoy some of the "normal" social activities of life but there are days when this can wear on you more than others. With very little social interaction there can come this "social isolation" that just leaves us feeling alone. When I battle with this type of disconnection from life's normalities, I let my mind wander through some of my favorite Bible heroes who likely felt the same thing at times. I often think and speak of Joseph whose own brothers sold him into slavery to get rid of him - to try and crush his dreams. And then after he maintained his own integrity and held on to God through that type of struggle, he was unjustly imprisoned. Talk about the epitome of being socially isolated! Yet Joseph never gave up on God. He sat for long periods of time in prisons that are a far cry from the discomfort ...

Psalm 139 has been a long time favorite. As a child I read it and marveled; and then I read it to my children and marveled even more. How could this God be so "intimately acquainted" with all my ways? How could He know me inside and out? Even more amazing, how could He know everything about me, all my quirks included and still  love me? This is what I get out of Psalm 139 - that He really does know me inside and out - but continues to love me no matter what He saw before the world began, what He has seen while I have walked through time - or what He sees about my future here in time and with Him. I guess what gets me most is that He looks at my life in its entirety - and He doesn't look away. He never says it's too ugly, too messed up or too anything for Him. In verse 12, I read this: but even in darkness, I cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and night are both alike to You.  (NLT) I like that because to me it says that the thin...

Do you ever find yourself comparing your life to others? It can be pretty easy to get caught up in comparing our situations to those of other caregivers. And in this world of social media craziness it can be even easier to look through status updates and see what the rest of the world  is up to. If I'm not careful, a brief look through Facebook updates can plunge me into depression because I see what the rest of the world is getting to do today while I am trapped in my home. I see my friends are at the gym, grabbing a Starbucks coffee, shopping at the mall or attending a concert. These are daily, or at least common activities for many people. But for the caregiver they are not plausible or possible in many cases. It can be easy to fall into the trap of comparing our lives with others whether they are caregivers or not, but it's not wise. Paul even warned the Corinthians about comparing themselves among themselves.  (2 Corinthians 10:12) He told them that it was "fo...

Have you ever been somewhere that you just didn't feel welcomed? Maybe it was a party, someone else's home, a classroom setting or even a religious function. Whatever the reason, there was just an "air" there that made you feel unwelcome. This can be a very uncomfortable place to be in, can't it? Sometimes I can feel this way when I take my son out. Doors don't open right or ramps are not constructed properly and it can be difficult to get him in places that are supposed to be "handicap accessible." And on occasion I've made a purchase and trying to get the wheelchair, packages and myself back out the door can just make me feel out of place. It's not so bad now that I'm used to it, but there have been times when I felt like I was really sticking out and no one really cared. Yesterday during my morning devotion I happened on this scripture in Ephesians 3:12 which says: Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly ...

Jesus made an interesting statement in Mark 10 ,   He said: Whoever wants to be a leader among you must first be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many. In the Western church we hear very little about servanthood that is not manipulative or demeaning on the part of "leadership"; and many times boastful on the part of underlings. But Jesus came and presented Himself as a servant without any fanfare; it was just His nature to serve us. I really think this is an element of caregiving that many do not realize. In many cases it's a natural thing; but that doesn't mean it's always pleasant or easy. For many of us it just makes sense to take care of a parent, child or other family member who needs help and we just step into the role. That's what Jesus did - He saw our need for a Savior and He just stepped into it  eag...

If we really take time to think about it, caregivers look a lot like Him. I know, we will all modestly say, "Oh,no we are far from that." But this week in our devotions I want to look at some ways that we do  look like Him. (That is  the point of Christianity isn't it?) Now I'm not saying we are perfect, or that we have it all together because that is probably not going to ever  happen in a caregiver's world. But day after day we continue to care for our loved one(s) without giving up. If we take a serious look, we'll find that we do indeed have Christ-like qualities. In the New Living Translation, Romans 2:4 is translated this way: Don't you realize how kind, tolerant and patient God is with you? God patiently waits for His children to come to Him. We patiently care for our loved one day after day - whether we see any change or have any hope that the situation will change or not. All of that is irrelevant to providing care. Have you ever heard someone...

I have found it useful to keep a personal blog as it gives me a place to put and leave my emotions. I really didn't start it for that purpose. My intent was to share the difficulties and challenges that I face as a caregiver and talk about how to keep faith (which has been totally redefined for me) while walking through the heat of the furnace on a daily basis. Last night as I was writing an entry in From the Furnace , I found my own encouragement in Isaiah 40:28-29. The New Living Translation says it this way: don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak.   On a day when emotions were fried and strength was gone, I found this scripture to be very encouraging. I particularly like that it says He won't grow faint or weary. And I like that He will give powe...