Do I have to Choose?

This morning I had a couple of scriptures on my mind as I puttered about and got my tutoring done early. The one from 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is still fresh on my mind: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely and may your whole body, soul and spirit be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  There are only about 3 or 4 times when Paul uses the phrase God of peace. He uses it here and in Romans a couple of times. And of course, Isaiah says that He is the Prince of Peace.

We have the God of peace or the Prince of Peace living right inside of us. Now that hits me as just a little bit funny since the caregiver's daily life can resemble just about anything but peace. I don't know if it's ever not hectic! I would probably use just about any word to describe daily activities - except peaceful. While each caregiver's journey differs, my days are filled with constant activities like laundry, cooking and pureeing foods, straightening the house (this really doesn't happen all that often!), talking to various health care professionals, feeding, changing, bathing, transferring, providing stimuli (without providing too much), designing and doing therapeutic activities (standing frame, puzzles, range of motion) and whew! I'm tired already. And I haven't even touched the things we have to do to keep ourselves sane and happy. It can become quite the circus.

So after I think about how He is the God of peace in my own life - my thoughts shift to another scripture. In Romans 15:13 Paul says this: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This scripture has been I have meditated on for years. I guess I just love the thought of this God of hope filling me with joy and peace so that I have more hope in Him.

We can see He is the God of peace and  hope. Do I ever have to choose between hope and peace? It seems more like a package deal. We get all of Him when His Spirit resides in us as believers. So it seems that all of His hope and peace would be there as well. I do not have to choose between hope and peace - I get the full package deal! He fills us with His hope - AND He fills us with His peace. I think that's a pretty powerful combination and I can use an extra supply of both.

God does not give us just parts of Himself - He fills us up with all He is. There isn't a junior Holy Spirit for kids; or a senior Holy Spirit for the elderly. There is no "special editions" for special cases like caregivers. We get Holy Spirit working in our lives and He will continue to work to the degree we yield to Him - no matter what situation we are in. Ephesians 3:16 says that we are strengthened in our inner man - just by Him being present  in us.

Today I will be thankful that I get the full package deal and that the Spirit of God is at work in me - even in my situation. I will meditate on the truth that He comes with peace and  hope and I don't have to choose between the two. I will purposefully yield myself to Him and allow God to work in my life today -- and be strengthened by the truth that He still works in me - the caregiver. Will you join me?

An Apple a Day

Did you ever have a day where you felt totally overwhelmed by your situation? Maybe it's just me, but there are days when I get up and just don't feel like facing all the commotion. Caregiving isn't like just having a job - we can't call in  to work and say we are not coming. Maybe David had some sort of sense of the oppressive forces at work when he said in Psalm 17:9 that the wicked oppress me and the deadly enemies surround me. Caregiving is an all-consuming situation. You're all-in like it or not! And for many of us there isn't a break in sight with no one to lighten the load. Now I know we can adjust to our lives and everyday is not a huge burden. But what do we do with those days where we do  feel overwhelmed? I think verse 8 has our answer. David penned:

Keep me as the apple of Your eye

Hide me under the shadow of Your wings...

That's my heart's desire on good days and bad. I just want to know that God still sees me and that He is still walking through the fire with me. Someone asked me yesterday, how do you know God loves you? My answer was simple - He hasn't left me yet. Even when I've been angry at Him about the situation, He can handle the big stuff and the hard questions. He has stayed with me through the fight (even the one I put up).

I think the heart of this scripture could be summed up this way: God, cherish me in my trouble! Value me even in my distress! It can be easy when caregiving takes over our lives to feel like we have lost value. For me, it meant feeling like I was no longer an asset, but a liability or a burden to others. But you know what? We are all valuable to Him. We are cherished, loved and adored by our God, no matter what type of situation we have found ourselves in.

It's important to note that the psalmist's request to be valued during the fight is reciprocated by God. In Proverbs 7:2 Solomon (David's son by the way) says to keep the Word of God as the apple of your eye. We should value the Word of God just as much as we desire to be valued. And as we value His word, and alter our lives to match it - we will find that we are highly favored of the Lord. Nothing about the way he values us changed when we became caregivers! 

God never changes his promises or His conditions based on our circumstances. He will always love us. He is always with us. He still requires holiness from us. There are no exclusionary statements or exemptions handed out for caregivers! We will always be the apple of His eye. We will always be cherished and loved by our Father.

Today I will meditate on the truth that He will not leave me alone in the struggle. He is with me and He not only loves me deeply - he values and cherishes me. My goal is to reciprocate that to Him; to cherish and value Him above everything else. Will you join me?

It's Out There!

Psalm 91 used to be one of my favorite psalms, until my son was involved in an automobile accident that left him incapacitated. For a long time I found Psalm 91 very frustrating - since God did not protect my son. In another blog I openly sorted through emotions and faith. As I slowly got my bearings and tried to continue to trust the Lord again - I learned to love this passage once again; but from a totally different perspective.

I no longer see it as a cure-all and a "lucky charm" that keeps all trouble far away. It's not so much that trouble stays so far away - it's that He keeps us safe during the storm, during the trouble and through tribulation. If you will read past verse one you'll find some pretty interesting things like:

the snare of the fowler

perilous pestilence

terror by night

destruction laying wait at noonday

plagues

lions and cobras

All of that is out there! And it's not far away. It's a scary place for sure. It's not like we hide in Him for refuge and all this goes away. There's a war going on and danger lurking all around. But He keeps us in the midst of the danger. Think about verses 12-13. Yay - we can tread on lions and trample serpents. But do you know how close you'd have to be  to them to be able to do that? Think about it. 

Yes - all of that is out there. But God will keep our souls even in the darkest, most dangerous times. Our being is hidden in Him and there is nothing that can reach our soul. Verse 15 is God speaking and He says  I will be with them in trouble.  He did not say He would not let trouble happen - but that we have a place to hide to ride out the storm.

Today I will meditate on hiding in Him even though life around me is rumbling. Instead of worrying about my situation - I'll rest in Him and think about His mercies carrying me through this day. Will you join me?

Superlatives Allowed!

As a general rule we are taught to avoid superlatives. Who hasn't been bitten in the back side by saying I'm never going to (fill in the blank) again!? I catch myself saying things like It always happens like that...  When we use superlatives - it means there is no room for any alternatives. Using always and never in particular doesn't leave any wriggle room, no exceptions allowed. But Paul seemed to like superlatives and in 1 Thessalonians 5 he didn't leave the believer any wriggle room when he penned:

Rejoice Always

Pray without Ceasing

In everything give thanks

Test all things - hold fast what is good

Abstain from every form of evil

When we look at it that way- it's quite the bill to fill. There were no exclusionary statements for any of these instructions. Notice Paul didn't say "in everything give thanks unless your situation is particularly trying or difficult." He didn't instruct the believers to "rejoice always unless you are a caregiver who just can't find joy in the day." He wrote these as instructions to believers in the Body of Christ. He gave no exceptions, no leeway - just do it - always.

I'll be the first to tell you that there are days it is difficult to find something to rejoice about, or to be thankful for. But usually, if we look hard enough - we can find something. Even though each of our situations are unique and we have our own set of daily trials to walk through we can heed and obey Paul's instructions here. We probably get close to praying without ceasing; but the other rules can be very difficult.

The caregiver's situation is a stressful one, and can take a toll on the mind, body and spirit after awhile. It might take some serious effort to accomplish these tasks. But they really just make sense for living life - no matter what that looks like. While we may not be thankful for our situation - we can find something to be thankful for - we are still breathing, we have food on the table, the sun is shining and the birds are singing. I've learned that sometimes it's the littlest things that bring joy to the heart. We can give in to the joy of a child's laughter, a beautiful song, a special message from a friend, or having the time to sit down and breathe for a minute or two. If we give in - it doesn't take much.

When we take the broader look at where we are there are many reasons to rejoice. God sent His word to heal us. He has not left us - and is available for us - constantly by our side. The power of the cross is not weakened by our trying circumstances and the word did not change when we became a caregiver. His word endures forever - even through the battles life brings. God is with us and He's in it for the long haul. 

Today I will meditate on the things I can be thankful for. Even if I can't see the "light at the end of the tunnel" I will keep my eyes open and watching for reasons to rejoice in Him today. Will you join me?

Follow Peace

In both letters to the Thessalonians, Paul started out by saying Grace to you and peace from God our father and Jesus Christ our Lord. He knew that their lives were being turned upside down by the opposition they were facing so I think he started his letter by speaking peace over them. Like the caregiver, I'm sure they needed an extra amount of peace.

Caregiving is not thought of as peaceful - even on our best days when things go "as planned." We face numerous decisions and the difficulty is in making them for someone else. Finding peace is not always easy. My Uncle Calvin's go-to advice was always "follow peace." Even though he's been gone home now for many years - I find myself returning to that nugget when I am faced with decisions, especially troubling ones. Sometimes it's easy to sort things out and determine the most peaceful solution; other times it just ain't happening!

If we as caregivers need anything - I'd say it's peace. Without peace we

can't make decisions

can't enjoy life

can't enjoy others

can't sleep

can't eat

Peace is a necessary component of our lives and yet it can seem so far away. In the craziness of a day it can be difficult to remember that the God of peace lives right inside us. We already have access to His peace. The trick is following it  or letting it  rule our hearts.

The Thessalonians are not the only group of Christians that Paul ministered peace to. He said to the Roman Christians:  Now the God of peace be with you all. (Romans 15:33) He also spoke to the Corinthians about the God of peace in 2 Corinthians 13:11 Paul said: Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you.  Fact is - he started or ended nearly every one of his letters to the churches speaking of the peace of God. 

I pray that everyone reading this blog today will be overwhelmed by His peace. And I pray that you will allow His peace to reign. Sometimes His peace comes and it doesn't make sense to have peace so we dismiss it - today I hope we will all embrace His peace.

Today I will meditate on the truth that God (and His peace) is with me - and is in me. I will purposefully yield myself to His peace and let it rule in my heart. I won't listen to the craziness around me - I will concentrate on yielding to His peace. Will you join me?

Great Generic Prayers for Caregivers

The Thessalonians lived in turmoil, conflict, tribulation and trials. The caregiver journey can be one which is very trying too. Our days are filled with activities beyond what "normal" families deal with. Many of us have to basically do everything twice; once for our loved one and then for ourselves. This is especially true for those who require total care. It can mean you get a shower, get dressed and eat breakfast; and you have to get another adult showered, dressed and fed as well. And if they have any sort of special diet it means making two separate breakfasts, lunches, suppers and snacks throughout the day. No matter what your caregiving journey looks like - it's not easy.

It can be difficult for people to know how to pray for caregivers. What is it that we need? (A break - we all say in unison!*smile*) Physical help is not always feasible even when people care about you and your situation greatly. And it can be very difficult to know how to pray for the caregiver. 1 and 2 Thessalonians has some scriptures that I like to call "generic prayers." These are fitting for anyone in any situation. We all need them! These are the things that Apostle Paul prayed for the Thessalonians who were going through some very rough times. While I'm speaking specifically for praying for caregivers, these are good - use them for everybody prayers! You can pray that:

God establishes their hearts before Him (I Thess. 3:13)

the God of peace sanctifies them completely, 

and preserves them body, soul and spirit (I Thess. 5:23)

God fulfills His good pleasure in them,

and completes the work of faith with power

He is glorified in them according to His grace (2 Thess.1:11-12)

God comforts their hearts and establishes them

in every good word and work. (2 Thess.2:16-17)

God directs their hearts into His love and into the patience of Christ(2 Thess. 3:5)

God will give them peace always in every way (2 Thess. 3:16)

As a caregiver I find just reading these scriptures encouraging. We did not lose our desire to be holy before Him or to be complete in Him when we became caregivers. There's no button to push to turn off the desire to love Him with all our heart, body, soul, mind and strength. But it can get very cloudy from a caregiver's point of view. Somehow these scriptures, whether prayed or read help clear my view of Him. They help bring peace and hope back into my heart. They are great scriptures to use to pray for caregivers and anyone else for that matter. 

Today I am going to meditate on these scriptures from Thessalonians. As I meditate on His word I'm going to let them melt away the turmoil and allow His peace to reign in my heart. I'll turn my thoughts to what He has done for me - not toward my situation. And I will rejoice that His thoughts and plans for me did not change when I became a caregiver. Will you join me?

The Word at Work

As I sat down for my morning devotions over the weekend I found myself in 1 Thessalonians. One thing I noticed about both first and second Thessalonians is that Paul starts them both out mentioning the afflictions, trials, tribulations, and turmoil the church was going through. But even after acknowledging the conflicts and troubles the Christians were facing Paul offered some comforting words.

In the last part of 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul states:  the word of God which effectively works in you who believe. He did not make it seem like they didn't  believe just because they were facing troubles and trials. He actually encouraged them by acknowledging the fact that they are still believers and the Word still works in them.

Sometimes "church people" can make it seem like if you are in a trial or tribulation you do not believe or at least you don't have faith. Paul indicated no such thing here to the Thessalonians. You know, it's not like Holy Spirit packs up and moves out when the going gets tough! He never looks around and says something like, "I don't recall this being part of the package - I'm outta here!" Holy Spirit lives in  us and He's in it for the long haul.

Ephesians 3:16 says that we are strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man. We gain strength from His residence in us. He won't jump ship when the going gets tough - He'll never leave us stranded. We can gain strength today knowing that Holy Spirit and the Word are both working inside of us no matter what we face; no matter what we feel.

Today I will meditate on the truth the HE lives IN me. I'll turn my thoughts to the fact that no matter what type of struggle or trial is staring me in the face today - He will walk through it with me and He is working in me in the midst of the storm. Will you join me?