Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 I've been MIA for a few days. Just been too much on the plate. I won't go through my long list as I know you have one of your own. If we compared the two, it's likely to contain some very similar items, I'm sure. Our day-to-day tasks of caregiving are probably almost identical. Then we each have our mix of extras that each have the potential to be the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back. Can you relate?  I only have one thing to say about all that - But God.  Doesn't He always come through? I often find myself on the other side of one of life's confusing mazes, wondering just how He got me through it. Honestly, I'm on the going-in side of one in my life right now - but I know He's never failed, and I know He'll show me where to put my feet. If I put my feet where He just stepped - I know I'll be good! I was pouring it all out in my journal this morning, and this little poem popped out... So, I wanted to share it with my fellow caregiv...

 This morning, I woke up with our scripture from yesterday still on my mind. I meditated on it all day yesterday, so no wonder it was still dancing around in my head. As usual, when I turned back to Psalm 94:19 once again, I saw something new. It's funny because I know His word didn't change from yesterday to today - but I was in a new place today.  Again, Psalm 94:19 says this: In the multitude of my anxieties  within me, Your comforts  delight my soul. I noticed this morning as I read and reread this verse again that anxieties and comforts are both plurals. What that said to me was that God has comfort to match our anxieties. There's a comfort for every single concern or anxious thought we might drum up.  As caregivers, we never know what a day will bring. This morning, we had a nurse visit at 8. That'll mess up your schedule. I also have to walk down to the office sometime today to pick up some supplies I ordered for Chris. No biggie - it's just one of those ...

  Boy, can my days get complicated fast! Trying to balance taking care of my son and working from home can become a bit overwhelming. You know that caregiving alone is a lot of responsibilities, and they are daily. There aren't really any days "off" because care has to be done every single day. Even if I slack on my work responsibilities, there's no time off from caregiving.  It seems like lately, work has been my biggest stressor. Chris is doing well, but that means more time working him, stretching him, feeding him, and finding different things to stimulate his brain so it can rebuild. All of that is good, especially his progress, but it takes chunks of time. That can mean I have less time (and energy) to do the work that makes the money around here. Lol. I say all that to say - I get stressed. I know many of you can identify and have your own caregiving stressors to deal with. But this morning, I read Psalm 94:19 with new eyes. It says, In the multitude of my anxie...

 I am so thankful for His grace. We've talked about how there are threads of race throughout the Old Testament, even though we think of it as the time of the Law. Their culture and environment were harsh, too, so sometimes, we miss grace and mercy. But this weekend, as I was studying through the story of David and his sons, I found one of those strands of grace. Right smack dab in the middle of 2 Samuel 14 is one such strand. If you read the chapters preceding and following this one, you'll find stories of rape, incest, anger, and murder... who needs TV? lol. We tend to lean toward fairy tale stories and think every one of them has a happy ending. We live in a world where we now expect a happy ending with everyone living happily ever after. This is one thing that has kept me from writing a book about my journey with my son - I don't have a "happy" ending yet.  But in our lives, some stories don't have a happy ending - or they don't have the desired ending....

  Over the weekend, I took some time for a little old-fashioned Bible study. I sat with my pen, journal, and coffee and just enjoyed traipsing through the scriptures. I pulled out my New Living Translation and then my Amplified Bible to get all I could out of each scripture. Finally, I ended up in Psalm 2, but my eyes went to my handwritten notes on Psalm 3 in my Amplified Bible.  Psalm 3 was written by David during the time when he was running from Absalom, his son. Absalom was committing treason and trying to take the kingdom from David. I guess David was accustomed to running after those earlier years he spent running from Saul. He wrote in the first two verses about his despair and how it seemed like no one believed David had hope left. Then, verse three starts with but... David reminds himself,  but You, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Wow. I need to remind myself of that daily. But what about those handwritten notes? They led me...

 If you listen to the leading caregiving experts, mental health professionals, and medical providers, they will tell you how important it is to have a support system. My first thought is,  well, great, I got no one . Lol. But when I expand my thinking a bit, I can list a whole host of home health nurses, doctors, specialists, and case managers that it takes to keep Chris happy and healthy. I have my niece, who comes faithfully on Fridays to give me a couple of hours for self-care or to run errands. And if I had an emergency, I have a couple of people I could call at least.  If I expand my mind a little further, I can remind myself of numerous friends, literally around the globe, who I can call with prayer needs. There are at least 2 or 3 I could make a middle-of-the-night call to if need be. I wouldn't do that - waking them up probably wouldn't help the situation, but it helps to know they are there. Knowing there are people out there who can touch heaven when I need it m...

I was recently invited to a friend's party, but I would need to fly to attend. There are always lots of factors at play when you are a caregiver trying to make travel arrangements. Sometimes, the tasks needed to schedule an outing are a deterrent. One of the biggest factors in my decision to NOT go on the trip this time was that airlines were canceling flights. It was problematic for many travelers who found themselves stuck in a remote location trying to get home. Not only did I not need to get stuck somewhere, I didn't want to put sitters in a position to try and figure out what to do with Chris in my extended absence. So, I chose not to go. I've thought about the trip I missed a lot. I wish I could have gone. But I do feel like it was the best choice, the most responsible one. It was frustrating, though, to feel like I was at the mercy of airlines that might or might not provide the services I paid for.  My thoughts soon turned to thanksgiving as I realized God doesn...