One More Time

 Does it ever seem like your thoughts get stuck running along one track and it's hard to get them back where they need to be? Mine do. It seems I so easily get sucked into the black hole of emotions and horrible thought patterns. Honestly, it can be difficult to get my head back on the word and where it needs to be. Like David, I find I must encourage myself in the Lord many days. Sometimes, it's many times every day. Lol.

This year has had a lot of ups and downs, just like every year, right? And here we are in the last couple of days and I'm looking for ways I need to change. In the middle of that, I can be hard on myself. I'm starting to think caregivers do that a lot. Am I right? There is always something left undone at the end of the day - sometimes it's us! Lol. Each evening we can be swamped with all the things we wanted to get done and didn't. We met each demand made on us as well as we could and cared for our loved ones to the best of our abilities. But sometimes we need to hear one more time, that we are enough. We are loved by our Caregiver. We are surrounded by His grace. We can do all things through His strength. And sometimes, hearing those things one more time isn't enough. I have to remind myself all day long. Do you?

So, as we close out this year (there's one more day, of course), let this blog remind you that God's got you covered and He's right there in the mix with you - no matter how crazy, how overwhelming, how confusing, how big, or any other adjective you need to describe your current situation - He didn't leave when it got tough. As a matter of fact, He leaned in just a little closer. Sometimes, we just need to close our eyes and focus on Him with our souls.

Today, I will remind myself one more time that God has me. My thoughts will be on how His grace has carried me through yet another year I thought I couldn't make it through. Yet, here I am still hidden in Him - and look - you're here too! Congrats on a successful year's journey. My meditations will be on His grace and I'll picture Him carrying me right on into the new year. Will you join me in His arms today?

                                                                                                                                           

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.

Stay in the Game

 I love football! I used to spend hours playing it in the yard. My mom loved it then too, but only because it kept me out of the house for entire afternoons. Lol. I am an old-school Houston Oilers fan; that's where fandom all started for me. I loved Earl Campbell and still do. As I watched him and some of the other greats from that era, I learned to love the game. More recently, since becoming a caregiver, I started enjoying college football. 

Last night, I watched a bowl game. Arkansas was ahead 35 to 13. It was the final quarter, with not too much time left, when Kansas started an epic comeback. They were able to tie the game with seconds left on the clock, which sent the game into the first of a historic three overtimes. They lost in that third overtime, but they played with heart and guts. They stayed in the game when the world thought they were out. The Liberty Bowl will now go down in history as one of the most thrilling games of the season due to a team that never gave up and ended up setting all sorts of records.

Sportscasters aren't talking so much about the actual winners of the game based on numbers. They are talking about the epic comeback and heart of the Kansas team that tried. Of course, the win would have been an even better story, but Kansas has nothing to be ashamed of. 

In caregiving, there are no numbers to declare "winners" or "losers." We win when we stay in the game. It can be hard, and it can be stressful, but we can't give up on faith. Colossians 3:17 tells us that whatever we do - we should do it whole-heartedly as if we were doing it for Christ. I'm pretty sure that caregiving counts. Caring for our loved ones won't necessarily bring us any "victories" by the numbers on earth, but it will mean we win in the heart. We serve them as if we were serving Christ, and there is reward in that.

Staying in the game means not quitting when it looks impossible. It means we keep trusting God no matter how crazy our emotions get or how many funky roads our thoughts run down. Staying in the game means we just keep trusting God to lead us, to care for us as caregivers, to love us, and to keep us in the midst of the fight of our lives. And He will do all of that and more!

Today, I'll keep my heart and soul in the game by declaring my trust in Him. When I feel like I'm losing it, I'm all alone, or I just can't take one more step - I'll just lean into Him more closely. I'll kick my determination up a notch and give it another run. I'll center my heart on His grace, which carries me, and I'll trust Him for just one more day - one more play. I'll trust He'll make this day epic because I choose to stay in the faith game. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                           

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.

Peace Agents

 This morning, I'm running super short on time, so I thought I'd share the live devotions I did on FaceBook earlier. Plus - I have an announcement!! I'm working on creating a YouTube section just for caregivers. It'll be private, so no one can access it without the links. Let me know if you'd like to have access. Until then - here's today's devotion on being a peace agent.

Spent With Grief

 

This morning, my emotions were all over the place. Who even knows why right? It just happens sometimes. Maybe it was a memory that sparked sadness or the crazy, rough dreams I had early this morning. (No, I didn't have pizza last night! Lol.) I chose to spend my morning devotions in a very familiar place - Psalm 31. It's been a long-time favorite psalm of mine, and it's loaded with good stuff to meditate on all day.

I read through the entire psalm before really landing anywhere. But I had a hard time just skipping by verses 9 and 10. David describes his eyes wasting away with grief in verse 9. Then, in verse 10, the psalmist says my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing. (NKJV) Boy, did I feel it this morning. Grief may come in waves, or it may set up camp - but it comes. I think caregivers deal with different types of grief. Those who are caring for parents miss the person their parent was and deal with the emotions of a huge role reversal. Those of us caring for children grieve for the person they were too. Parents caring for children with disabilities grieve over what could have been. 

David goes on to use some terms common to caregivers. He talks about being a reproach, forgotten, fearful, and alone. (I relate to all of those, do you relate to any of these emotions and feelings?) But here's what I love about David, he wraps up the midsection of this psalm with a faith confession. But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say "You are my God." (v.14 NKJV) I love that David is so open and honest with his emotions and feelings because, in many circles today, it's not acceptable.

We can wrap up every crazy thought and release every wild emotion in prayer to the God Who hears us. As a matter of fact, He's aware of all of it, even if we don't share it with Him. So, He patiently waits for us to bring it to Him and trust Him with our care. That's not too different than our loved ones trusting us with their care (even if they don't know they are doing that!). 

Today, I will package up all my emotions and give them to God. I'll trust Him to care for me today. I will trust God to bandage up my wounded soul (mind, will, emotions) and anoint me with the salve of His Holy Spirit so I am whole in Him. I'll let Him carry my concerns today - and I'll let Him carry me too! Will you join me?

I Wasn't Ready

 I never dreamed that Christmases alone would be in my future. But there it was. We had invites, but life didn't give us the go-ahead, so we ended up spending Christmas Eve and Christmas alone this year. It was okay; I was just a little surprised that it happened to us. I don't know why. So, if you spent the holiday alone, I'm sorry. It's a sinking feeling.

Sure, I tried to scan Facebook a time or two, but all I saw were all the happy families spending great times together. I just avoided social media for most of the day, got a lot of work done, and tried to push it all out of my mind. But, boy, did it nag. I wasn't really emotional about it, but it sure hung over my head all day long for the two days. I'll plan differently for next year, that's for sure.

While I focused on working and getting a few projects done, I kept reminding myself that it was no big deal. But nagging thoughts like I'm not important to anyone kept trying to gain ground in my head. I even knew it wasn't true - I had places to go. It just didn't work out so that we could. I hope you didn't have a similar experience, but if you did, now is a great time to remind yourself that God is here - wherever your "here" is today. 

He hasn't unplugged His mercy, and His thread of grace still runs through every aspect of our lives. For this, I am thankful. Whether we spent the holiday with a crowd of family or friends or we spent it all alone, His grace, peace, love, and mercy were all still intact. I love that about God. He never outlines an area He won't enter or touch. He binds our wounds and heals our hurts. And He does it over and over again, for they are many when you are a caregiver.

Today, I'll remind myself that God is right here. I'll let my soul rest in the truth that He's got me covered and surrounded. My meditation will be on His ever-abiding presence and His comfort that remains extended even in my pain. My heart will be grateful that He never forgets about us, and we are not just an item way down on His to-do list either. We are front and center in His mind - He's near the brokenhearted, right? So, He must be right here in our today. So, I'll trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                         

Grace Enough

 The holidays are particularly hard for many caregivers. I'm kinda used to not getting together with family during the holidays; there's usually some reason. Last year, we'd been exposed to Covid on Christmas Eve and missed the family get-together. Today, it's just too cold to take Chris out, even though it's warmed up to a balmy 16 degrees! Not being able to celebrate traditional holidays can make the loneliness we feel year-round seem even deeper. I'm so thankful that His grace is enough to carry us through every lonely moment. Sometimes, it's in the darkest hours of our souls that we find His sustaining grace. 

We can rest assured that His grace is enough for the holidays too. Jesus doesn't take Christmas off, even though He could celebrate His "birthday." Lol. Whether we have a house full of loved ones and gifts, or we are spending the days alone with our loved ones, His grace is enough. 

About this time of year, I start reflecting on the year we are leaving and looking forward to the new beginnings of a new year. I also plan some changes for the new year. I'm going to be more Bible teaching on my YouTube channel and am still working to narrow down my ideas, so there's some structure. (I have WAY too many ideas and not enough time!) Of course, this blog will remain in my plans for the next year - I'd just like to see myself improve on consistency! But whether I'm looking back or forward, His grace is enough. 

I look back from last Christmas to this holiday season and see a lot of changes and improvements. I have seen His grace work in so many ways, and I plan to keep open eyes moving forward. I'll be keeping a lookout for His grace in action in my life. I hope you'll join me in celebrating and actively seeking His grace, for it is His grace that carries us through caregiving days.

Today, as I spend Christmas Eve alone with my son, I'll adopt an attitude of thankfulness. I'll remind myself of all that God has done for us this last year and how His blessing continues. My heart will be set on thanksgiving for His grace that never runs out, never runs low, and is always "enough" for each day - and that includes today. I'll keep an eye out for threads of grace running through my day today as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

Check out this morning's Facebook live on His grace.

The Rest of the Story

 

When I was a kid, we often listened to Paul Harvey on the radio. One of my parents' favorite spots was his "The Rest of the Story." Mr. Harvey would lead in with an interesting, familiar story. Then he'd fill in all the gaps that were not as well known. Most of the population knew the "end" of the story, but there were so many interesting details worked in to help the person or persons reach their end goals. It was always so inspiring to hear of how people overcame adversity to achieve major life goals. He'd always end with, "And now, you know the rest of the story." 

I wonder what the rest of our stories will look like. Maybe none of us will do anything the whole world will know about - but what we do every single day is still extraordinary. In essence, we are laying down our lives for our loved ones. But sacrificial love isn't talked about too much these days. Maybe it's because we live in such a selfish society that they can't see selflessness or understand it. It always encourages me to think about how Christ did that for us. He embraced selflessness and came for us. We are His prize.

While it makes sense to me that we would lay aside our dreams and desires to care for our loved ones, I can't quite grasp how Jesus chose to die for us; for me. But - we are the rest of the story. We may never know the rest of our stories; we've got a lot of steps left in our journeys. But Jesus knew the rest of His story before He came as the baby messiah so many years ago. He knew we were His prize - and He still thought we were worth it.

We love those we are caring for, right? And we care for them so much that many times we die inside just so they can live. That's our heart. That's Jesus' heart too. So, here's the thing - you look a lot like Him. We all have many shortcomings and flaws and make plenty of mistakes. But we just keep going for our loved one's sake. He walked right down a painful path for us - and that's what we do for those we care for day after day. 

My point? Jesus knew the rest of the story - and came anyway. We were worth it to Him. We are loved.

Today, I'll encourage myself by reminding myself that He came for me. I will meditate on how much love and dedication it took for Him to come and live and die on my behalf, knowing what a mess I would be. I just need to know that I was worth it. I'll be thankful today that He knew everything about me and came anyway. I can rest in that truth and reassure my heart that He really does love me right here, right now. He gets us as caregivers and gives grace for the journey. I'll embrace His love today and lean a little closer to Him as I trust Him to write the rest of my story. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                           

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.