Daily Devotions for Caregivers

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...

This morning I was scrolling down facebook to see what happened in my world while I was asleep and saw a post from Jillian Michaels. She was out catching the premiere of a new movie. I always associate her with fitness and workouts and somehow in my mind she should not be at a movie. She should be somewhere kicking someone into gear and motivating them to get in shape! lol. When I see Jillian Michaels I always think of fitness or working out - her watching a movie did not fit with the image I had in my mind. I wonder what people think when they think of caregivers. Do they think that that is all there is to our lives? While caregiving for many of us is indeed a 24/7 job, we still have to do our day-to-day tasks just like everybody else - on top of taking care of another person's needs. Caregiving is a difficult and time consuming position, but we still like the things we used to  do before like reading, hiking, running, watching a movie or having dinner with friends. But in many ...

I've always heard that we should never say "never." I guess that's basically because we really never know what a day may hold. But last night while I was reading, I came across this scripture in Psalm 8. Verses 9 and 10 say this: The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord have never abandoned anyone who searches for you. (NLT) If anyone can use the term "never" it'd be Him! Far too many times I have heard stories of caregivers who feel that their family and friends have abandoned them. On one hand, I really do understand that for the most part, people do not know what to do with us. We cannot always "get out" like others and when we do not fit the mold of the world, and sadly the church, we can be abandoned. Isn't it comforting to know that He will  never abandon us? I love the passage in Isaiah 43 which says: When you go through deep waters and great...