Daily Devotions for Caregivers

 I read an interesting statement this morning. The author was talking about trauma and having PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Personally, I think all caregivers probably suffer from post-traumatic stress on some level. We just don't always have time to pamper ourselves, and we often live in survival mode. There's no time to get an official diagnosis. And even IF we did, when would we have time to “treat” it? I laugh - but it's not funny, really. The author made a really good point. She said that she shifted her focus to how much she'd grown since the trauma in her life. That made me pause and think a little bit.  Has caregiving been difficult? YES! Has the journey been the hardest thing in my life, so far? Absolutely. But I have to admit that I have grown as a believer. I call my journey a redefining of faith. Nothing looks like it did - absolutely nothing. And even though I didn't get the answers I've prayed for, I have to acknowledge that I view faith ...

 I am not sure anyone but caregivers "get" our responsibilities. Sometimes, we don't "get" it ourselves. We can hear a lot of voices - and not in the crazy way, either! Lol. People condemn us for so many different things and just really don't understand our position as chief caregivers. And that's okay, they don't need  to understand. But the fact that they don't want to  can sting a little bit, am I right? The healthcare system is making financial cuts and simply does not care about the particulars of our situations. That, and many other circumstances, can leave us feeling stranded emotionally and sometimes literally. But it's all good, right? My thoughts are running along this line due to a series of events, for one. I don't need to explain to you how crazy it can get around here! Lol. Secondly, I was rereading the story of David and Goliath this morning to prepare for my morning Facebook Live devotions. David had so many voices (negati...

Do you ever feel like one of your biggest daily struggles is just trying to "hold it all together"? Life can feel so fragmented, a shattered shell of what once was. Sometimes, caregivers may feel like others just don't get it, and that we chose  to be a caregiver. We are looked at as some sort of less than. Someone who is not worthy, or who is beneath the standards set out by the world. It's easy to feel like we are undeserving of help. Of love. Of other people's time. Can I tell you right now that if you feel less than, or like you are just trying to hold it all together - you are in good company and in good hands! A series of events over the last few days had me questioning my own existence. I began to feel like I was incapable of a normal life. And worse than that, some things said by loved ones made me feel shunned, like I'd committed some immortal sin and needed to be sentenced to a life sentence of aloneness.  I started writing some of it in my journal, ...

 Luke 7:36-49 recounts the story of the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears. Jesus had been invited to the home of a Pharisee to share a meal. The woman, who has no name, like the woman at the well, was called "a sinner." We can fill in the blank as to what her "sin" was, but it can go unsaid. In verse 48, Jesus says her sins plural were forgiven. We can assume she led a rather interesting life, which Jesus did not condemn, but the Pharisee did. One thing that stood out to me this morning as I was reading this passage was how different the two hearts were. The woman came to Jesus and never said a word. She poured expensive, fragrant oil on His head and began to weep at his feet. She cried so many tears that she began to dry His feet with her tears. Somehow, this woman of ill repute knew  Jesus heart to heart. Even if she couldn't put it into words, and maybe hadn't even been taught it, Isaiah 52:7 was real to her. (How beautiful are the feet of t...

 One of the many difficulties with being a caregiver is that we are always on. There's no break and no time off. Even when we get a little respite, we have to have our phones ready in case we get a call about our loved one's care. It's not like we are caregivers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with an occasional weekend tossed in. It's an every single day, 24/7, seven days a week deal!  Being on all the time can wear on our emotions and work into our souls. This is why it's so important to stay focused on our Help - the Great Sustainer of our Souls. Psalm 54:4 says Surely God is my helper, the Lord is the One Who sustains my soul. (NIV) When we invite Him into our messy worlds, whether it's our emotions, thoughts, feelings, or broken soul, He walks right in with all that He is. AND - He brings all that He is right into our brokenness. While the world avoids us because it makes them feel uncomfortable, He rushes into be with us and walk with us on the rocky ...

 Does it ever feel like you are being pressed on every side? Who am I talking to? Caregivers often feel like life is being conducted in a crucible. We deal with blow after blow, day after day. Sometimes, it's emotional blows, grief, sadness, and loss. These are things we cannot see, but boy, do we feel them. Other times, it's physical. I'm not sure there is a feeling worse than being a caregiver who can't caregive because of illness or impairment, even if it's a temporary setback due to an injury. During Flu season or Covid outbreaks, God forbid the caregiver catch something. It's more than "difficult" to care for someone when you are feeling less than your best. But even without these "extra" frustrating complications, it's easy to feel squished all the time. We may find ourselves always living on the edge, and it's not what Aerosmith was talking about, either! Lol.  David was in a very different situation, but he was responsible for...

 It's easy to think you did something wrong or are somehow responsible for bad things happening. That's not the case, but many caregivers feel like they don't have the right amount of faith, don't trust God enough, or did something to bring calamity on themselves or their loved ones. I sure felt that way when my son had his wreck. The church didn't help much when they couldn't pray the prayer of faith to raise him up either. Lots of questions, huh? We brought Jeremiah up last week, and the fact that one of our staple verses we like to use, especially when things don't make sense, was written  to the exiles.  Jeremiah 29:11-14 reassured the exiles that God still had a good plan for them, even if they couldn't see it or understand it.  Think about it for a minute, that there were some notable, good people in exile. Daniel was an exile living in the Babylonian captivity. He didn't do  anything to be put in that position. Neither did the three Hebrew chi...