Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 Do you ever feel like you live in full-time, full-on survival mode? I do. But the funny (not haha funny) thing is that a large part of the time, even though we know we are in survival mode, we don't realize its depth. I learned this yesterday, when the home health company called yesterday to tell me that I was going to start getting 5 hours a week for respite, once they find an aid. My response is what caught me off gaurd. I literally cried, and I am no crier. At that moment, the last few months caught up with me and I realized how tight I'd been. I had respite, then didn't. I just adjusted to the new normal. That's what we do, right? And I would bet we all do it a LOT without really realizing what a tight spot we are in. Until my emotional surprise, I hadn't realized how hard it's been to have zero help and zero breaks, even though I've done it alone a lot over the last nearly 15 years. We just kind of keep moving forward, caring for our loved ones, and tr...

 This morning, I was standing in my son's bedroom doorway, sipping my coffee and planning my day. Even though you never know what a caregiving day may bring, it's always good to have a plan. I mean, who knows, it might all go smoothly! We can hope. Right? I was looking at my son and praying and thanking God for the progress Chris has been making. One thing I've learned on this difficult journey is that I can trust God with my heart, emotions, and crazy out-there thoughts. His peace always has a way of reeling it all back in. I love how God meets us right where we are. He patiently waits for us to stop whining and complaining before He gently wipes the tears from our eyes so we can see Him clearly again - even if our heart is still a bit clouded with emotions. Isaiah 30:18 tells us that He waits for us to wait on Him. He waits until our hearts are ready to receive His goodness, grace, strength, help, and encouragement. And He knows the precise second we drop everything to re...

I'm still reading through Exodus, and this morning, I was to the part where the Children of Israel made the golden calf while Moses was on the mountain watching God write the 10 commandments with His finger. God tells Moses to "go down and check on YOUR  people that YOU brought out of Egypt. We then find Moses pleading with God on behalf of the wayward Israelites, even though he was upset at them, too. Think about what it must have been like to move such a huge crowd successfully across the wilderness. Just like for us, God was the ultimate provider. He made sure their clothes didn't wear out, they had food, and there was water. Moses followed God closely while moving the people from point A to point B. As I thought about how overwhelming it must have been to work with these whiny, cry-babies, moaning and groaning Israelites, I thought man  Moses was the ultimate caregiver. Of course, our circumstances are very different in that we care for our loved ones who cannot take c...

 I love the story of Gideon, the man who didn't know what he had. He came to mind in my studies this morning. I was looking at Exodus 20, where the Children of Israel were afraid to go up to the burning, shaking mountain with God. I can't say as I blame them. Most of the time throughout the Bible, when someone encountered God or an angel, they were afraid. Many times, the first thing God's messenger said was, "Fear not." Not so with Gideon. And that's why I don't buy the traditional line of thinking that he was a scared little man hiding out from the Midianites. When God's messenger showed up, they said, "Hail mighty hero. God is with you." (NLT) Gideon immediately responded with a question. He asked respectfully, "Sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" Didn't seem to be any fear there. Gideon just started asking real questions, for which he was NOT condemned, I might add. As I continued thinking about th...

  Caregivers can be so easily ignored. Or at least, that's been my experience. Only other caregivers have a clue about what goes on during our normal days. And even then, our stories are all so unique there's not really a comparison. But we do share some things like social isolation or living grief. Ultimately, we each must find our own path of faith and learn to trust God in our various caregiving circumstances. But just because God is "along for the ride" doesn't mean there are no bumps in the road. I've been studying Exodus this week, and this morning, in my reading, I was looking at their horrible attitudes. Lol. Sadly, I can often relate. God brought them through the Red Sea - but it didn't mean they would never face difficult situations again. He fed them manna and provided water at leas two times so far. Just because He provided water once didn't mean they would never need it again. I was thinking about all these things and their ups and downs a...

 For the last few days, I've been taking a look at the Children of Israel's exodus from Egypt. This story has so many details about how God does things. While we want to know His ways, not just His deeds (Psalm 103:7), the things He does give us a purer glimpse at who He is. That's what stopped me in Exodus chapter 15 during my reading this morning.  Get this picture. The Israelites have just seen God's hand bring them out of Egypt. He totally delivered them from a life of slavery and oppression. That's just the first big thing. After that, He brought them across the Red Sea, destroying Pharoah's army and sweeping them away in the collapsing sea. I call that "God's triple play!"  Seriously, these people just witnessed God do great miracles. Their feet  had just crossed across the dry bed of the Red Sea. Their eyes  had seen Pharoah's army be swept away in the waves. Their voices  had just sung I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed glori...

Have you ever been in a long-distance relationship? I've been in a couple over the last 30 years or so. Many of our military families are forced to deal with distance if a loved one is deployed. They are never easy to navigate, no matter what the reason. I mean, come on, a virtual hug is nice - but it's not the same thing. Not even close! We found out how valuable applications like Zoom and Skype were during the pandemic, although I'd been using them for years to close those relational gaps. They are invaluable tools for those of us who work (and live) online. As great as these apps are - they'll never be the same as being close in real time and real life.  Sometimes as caregivers, it can feel like everyone is in a long-distance relationship. I can't fault people for it - they don't always know what to do with us once we become a caregiver. Like we all of a sudden don't want to watch a movie with them or play games anymore. And in their defense, sometimes we...