Many Returns

 If you've read along with me over the years, you know I frequently take a run through some of my favorite verses and passages. I trust you know them and love them as well as I do. One such passage that gets frequent flyer miles from caregivers is Psalm 61. Maybe it's because we feel overwhelmed often, or that we need the reminder to just keep running to our Rock.

This morning, I was up early trying to catch up on some of last week's projects, and I just started feeling overwhelmed. Along with all the things I need to get done today, I have some things leaking over from last week. Chris got a blessing last week as Medicaid finally approved a SmartVest for him. Such a blessing, but it also takes another hour or so out of each day. (Definitely not a complaint, just a statement - and I know you understand.) I just want to "clock out" for a little bit. But it seems like even a few moments of relaxation can make the pile of responsibilities taller and more difficult to overcome.

As all these things started closing in on my heart and mind today, my mind ran back to Psalm 61. My prayer this morning was for the Lord to lead me back to the Rock once again. I kind of chuckled to myself and thought about how often I run to that Rock. I just keep running back for many returns! But when I opened my Bible to this psalm, I realized the psalmist ran back there a lot too. In verse 2, he prays for the Lord to lead him to the Rock when he is overwhelmed. In the next verse, he reminds himself that the Rock had been his shelter and a strong tower from the enemy many times. He had many returns to that rock as well. 

It's comforting to know that the Rock has been there for many generations. Matter of fact, Psalm 90 contains the words of Moses who said, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. As I type that out, I think that Moses was in the game early on. Since he penned that psalm, there have been many more generations added to it! The Rock still stands and will continue to stand for generations to come.

Today, I'll remind myself that I can run back to the Rock as many times as I need to for safety of heart and mind. My thoughts will be on how our Rock is stable, unmoving, and always welcoming. I think I'll remind myself of all the times I've run to Him over the years, and how He has never disappointed. And with that - I'll just take off running to Him again today. He is our present help, isn't He? I'll take a few minutes to thank Him for being there, for helping me, and for giving me His peace and strength. And I'll thank Him for never complaining when He has to carry me. Will you join me?

Can We Relate?

This morning, after reading several passages about peace to prepare for my live devotions, I landed in a familiar place. There I sat, sipping my coffee and reading Philippians 4:13 over and over again. Most of us memorized it as a kid. It's one of those that we pull out when our lives get out of hand, right? I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. That, along with Romans 8:28, are believers' go-to scriptures for all things we don't understand. 

I backed up and read the few verses before verse 13 to remind myself that Paul was talking about his life. He was explaining that he'd seen times of plenty and times of lack; he'd had great needs and abundance. I thought about how that might relate to caregiving. We have times when we are flying high, and things seem to be going well. Then we have times that we can feel like we are at the bottom of life, trying to resurface for a breath. The funny thing for caregivers is that these emotional highs and lows can happen within minutes of one another. Or maybe that's just me.

Here's to hoping that we get used to life's sucker punches, but I'm not sure I ever will. I do rebound a little more quickly these days, it seems, though. Paul is saying that whether we have it all together, have everything we need, or we feel lack - we still have His strength backing us up. As he described the ebbs and flows of his life, I felt like I could relate. Even though I've never been in a shipwreck, my emotions certainly have! And every single time, God has picked me back up, dusted me off, and given me the strength to take one more step. When I have felt like I even lacked the strength to trust Him - He has always come through. I am so glad that I do not rely on myself to make it. And I am thankful that He continues to pick me up and dust me off as needed - daily. :-)

Today, I will remind myself that His strength empowers me to be like Him. My thoughts will be on how He continues to watch out for and watch over my soul - no matter how damaged it feels. My meditations will be on His faithfulness to this weary time traveler. I'll continue to put my hope and trust in Him because He gets me - and loves me anyway! Will you join me?

Check Out These Threads!

 

This morning, I skipped through a bunch of the Old Testament Minor Prophets. A lot of people avoid reading them. Usually, it's because they are difficult to understand. Some of them were speaking of their current events, and to a people we don't really understand. Others consider the OT harsh and have a hard time grasping some of it. Of course, prophetic utterances like we see in the OT can be quite puzzling too. But I love them! 

Throughout Isaiah and Jeremiah, there are some pretty harsh sayings. Jeremiah cries out for God's people to repent and warns them of impending judgments. Isaiah prophesies in riddles, but we can see he talks about the coming Messiah, etc. Ezekial hardly makes any sense at all for most of us. Then there are the minor prophets Nahum, Micah, etc. They are short, sweet, and somewhat confusing. But there are some real treasures in there for those who have the gumption to dig!

So why do I love reading them? I think it's because throughout all of the Old Testament there are threads of mercy and grace. In the midst of all the stories that tell the history of our faith, we'll see hints of God's mercy if we look hard enough. Even in the craziest stories, we can find His mercy and grace. 

I think back to Rahab the harlot - she eventually married, so we assume she was no longer a harlot, right? She's the first of four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Here she was, harboring God's spies. Why? Because she believed that God was going to win, and she wanted to be on His team. God saved her and her family because of her faith, no matter what her lifestyle had been. The spies could have easily said they didn't want to stay at her house. After all, what would people think? But mercy and grace stepped in because of her faith.

I could go on with numerous other stories that demonstrate God's threads of mercy and grace. Instead, I encourage you to take a moment to look at your own life and situation. Try to identify those threads right where you are. His grace and mercy are always extended; He never withdraws them from us. They've always been there - even under the old law. Some days, I have to look harder than others to see them - but threads of grace and mercy run through our every day lives.

Today, I will choose to look for and focus on His threads of grace and mercy. I'll take a few minutes to look back at how they have been there on life's journey. My meditations will be on how His grace carries me gently through life and life's storms. I will trust Him to do that again today. Will you join me?

When Affirmations are Few

I hope you are surrounded by people who tell you how wonderful you are. I pray that you have family and friends who lift your hands for you when you are tired. I hope you have someone close to you who can tell you how beautiful you are and how much you look like Him. Hopefully, you have someone to encourage you when you need it. Someone who will tell you that you are doing a great job when you doubt yourself. That's what I hope. But the reality is that many caregivers find themselves in a caregiver's cave. They feel alone on the journey. Friends and family distance themselves (or so it seems) because they don't know what to do to help, or they simply don't want to, sadly. 

Job's friends got off course, eventually. But when they first came to Job after hearing about his situation, they sat and said nothing for 7 days. How affirming that must have been for them to just be there. Some may have plenty of people who encourage, uplift, and affirm them. But for those who do not -, I want to offer some affirmations. Let me remind you of a few things.

• You are greatly loved.
• You are valuable.
• You are cherished.
• You are accepted.
• You are cared for by God.
• You are not alone.
• You are welcome in God's house! 

Whether people "move on" because they get tired or bored of our situations or not - God remains faithful. Some days, I need that thread to hang onto. Maybe you don't need to be reminded how deeply He loves you, but I do. lol. Maybe you don't feel all alone. Perhaps you've got it all together today. How I love those days! But it never hurts to be reminded about how much you mean to Him, the One who sees, who hears. He who walks with us through the bright days and dark nights of our souls. May He whisper to you today, I am here.

After?

 Do you ever just read along in your Bible and have a phrase just jump off the page at you? That happened to me this morning. I was reading in Ephesians 6 about the armor of God. Paul said to put it on. In verse 13, Paul tells the believers to Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil so that after the battle, you will still be standing firm. (NLT) I've probably read this passage 100 times or more. I've taught from it, studied it, and meditated on it. But those three words leaped off the page as I read through it once again. 

After. I sometimes wish this verse read that if we put on all of God's armor, we can avoid the battle. lol. You know that passage where Jesus tells Peter that the enemy desired to sift him like wheat? (Luke 22). What did Jesus go on to tell Peter? But I have prayed for you. Jesus goes on to say He prayed for Peter that his faith wouldn't fail  - and that after he repents and is restored, he would go on to strengthen the brethren. Notice that Jesus didn't pray that Peter wouldn't go through the test - but He prayed concerning him after the test. He prayed that Peter's faith would not fail, not that he could escape the battle.

This word after is looking huge right now! Sometimes our days are filled with fights. That makes for a lot of afters. Our emotions war at us. Some of us fight feelings of abandonment and loneliness. Many caregivers deal with living grief. No one will argue the point that caregiving is tough. There are no easy days. lol. Even though we are not promised that there will be battles, we do know that there are many afters. 

After He's carried us through another dark valley. After our loved one is released from the hospital. I'm sure you've got a long list of afters since caregiving is so personal and unique for each individual. But we are all still standing. We are still seeking Him. Before, during, and after each battle. There's no doubt that He carries us through the battles common to caregiving. I'm so glad He does!

Today, I'll remind myself that there are lots of afters to look back on. That means there are plenty of battles won. So, today I'll shift my focus from the present battles and take a look back at some that He's already brought me through. I'll thank Him for the emotional wins, the financial wins, the relationship wins, the mental wins, spiritual wins, and any other win I can encourage my heart with today! I'll remind myself that we always triumph in Him, even if we are not exempt from the battle! Well, with no battle - there's no win. :-) I'll thank Him for the battle because I know there's an after. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                    

CLOSING DOWN THE DFM BOOKSTORE.

After much thought and prayer - It looks like I will be closing down my bookstore. My criteria for keeping it open have been that it pays for itself. I will likely keep it open for a few more weeks and then will shut it down. I'll continue to make books available through Amazon. But  Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore is likely to close soon - grab anything you're interested in before then, especially the smaller books and study guides. They will not be available on Amazon.

Not Gonna Do It!

 

I've shared my own personal struggles with rejection and abandonment. As I've aged and started closing in on those senior years, it's become much less of an issue. Most of it has been due to God's faithfulness to heal and protect the soul. Some of the progress is due to having a fuller picture of life from this side of the "hill." But as a caregiver, it can be easy to feel like life itself has abandoned you and left you on the backside of the desert. Of course, not every moment feels that way, but there are those days...

This morning, during my personal devotions, I found myself in Psalm 94. I gleaned a lot from this Psalm this morning and shared a different verse in my FaceBook Live devotions. (See the video at the bottom.)But personally, I got stuck in a good way in verse 14. The New Living Translation says, The Lord will not reject His people; He will not abandon His own special possession. There are three key points in this little verse tucked away in Psalm 94.

God Will Not Reject Us!

He will never say we are not His! We don't have to worry about being disconnected from His grace, mercy, peace, or love because He accepts us. And the cool thing is that He takes us just like we are - no matter how messy, confused, or distraught we may sometimes feel as caregivers. He never tosses us away.

God Will Not Abandon Us!

He will never walk away and leave us to figure out how to deal with life on our own. He is here for the journey. He is with us by choice. Besides, He doesn't even have the capacity to leave us since He's everywhere - lol - He literally has nowhere to go. :-)

We are His Special Possession

We are His focus. God so loved...He sent. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We are the object of His affection. Why? I have no idea! lol - But He loves us, cares for us, and calls us His own. We are so valuable to Him - we cannot even fathom it. That just blows my mind in a good kind of way.

Today, I will meditate on these three things - He accepts me. He will not leave me. He values me. That's a lot, isn't it? I will thank Him for these three truths today as I move about my day. I'll turn my thoughts to His presence, His peace, and His pursuit of me. And I will trust Him to walk with me through one more day - will you join me?

This morning's live devotions.

Rain is Coming!

 

This morning, I was just outside my apartment and noticed that the grass is brown and crunchy. This is not uncommon during hot, dry summers like the one we are having here in Oklahoma. I found myself wanting to encourage the grass because I've seen the forecast and rain - lots of it is due later this week. I was like - just hang on, you'll be green again soon.

Even though the grass is terribly brown - like the middle of the winter brown, it will brighten up and be green with just a little bit of rain. It won't be long until it's vibrant again. I thought about how wonderful that will be. Then, since I'm the question queen, I started wondering about how in the world it can appear so dry and dead and then revive again. It hit me that it's the roots. I cannot see the roots because seeing through things isn't one of my superpowers. Lol. But basic science has taught me that an intricate root system mirrors most of what we see on top of the soil. It's working to keep the grass alive during the dry season, even though it doesn't change the grass's appearance. Well, that will preach.

Everyone, caregivers or not, goes through dry seasons. We can feel so dry and maybe even a little bit crunchy now and then. (smile) But when we are rooted and grounded in Him - our "root system" will sustain us through those dry times. Just a little bit of rain from His word, and we are all perky again. (And far less crunchy!)

The New Living Translation reads this way in Ephesians 3:17. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. I think knowing that His love for me didn't change when I became a caregiver has been one of the solid truths that have kept me grounded over these almost 14 years. To know that His word, His love, His plan, and His purpose didn't change in response to circumstances helps me stay grounded in Him. And, of course, it takes us staying rooted and grounded in His word to sustain us through those dry times. 

There are days when He seems so close. I can feel His comforting care. Other days I think He packed up and moved away and left me holding the bags. It's those roots in His word that remind us He will never leave or forsake us. His mercies are new every morning. His kingdom is not shaken or moved by my circumstances. I can stand secure in Him, knowing the rain will come to my parched soul once again.

                                                                                                                                           

If you enjoy these devotionals, I have others! I've expanded my bookstore on Amazon. My devotionals are available in Kindle or print format. The new Bible study guides are now available on Kindle and in print! Check out my growing bookstore: 

I also recently opened my own bookstore. I'm presently filling it up with my books - check out the ones I have available in eBook format. You can download them and read them on your phone! Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore.