Streams in the Desert

 The other day, I was having a great conversation with a friend via Messenger. He's a young man who is hungry for the word, so he had lots of questions. We were talking about Elizabeth and Mary and how both of their pregnancies were miracles but in different ways. By now, you know I have a "Google mind," as one of my friends says it. You say a phrase, term, or thought, and she says my mind opens up about 20 tabs, ready to go whichever direction the conversation leads. Lol. It's true, I must admit.

I immediately thought of Hannah and how she prayed for a baby. God gave her a prophet, just like God gave Elizabeth the prophet John the Baptist. Then, I thought of Rachel praying for God to give her a baby, and she birthed Joseph, who would be instrumental in saving the nation. It started to seem to me that God has a wonderful way of turning a barren, dry, hurtful situation into new birth and life. He takes a barren womb and gives it life.

As I continued studying this concept, I thought of Isaiah 54, where God tells the barren woman to sing for her children will be many. I thought about scriptures that remind us that He makes streams in desert places. Caregiving can often feel like a deserted and dry place where suffering lives. But I looked at these women who God not only gave them life in the middle of their dry places - but blessed a nation from them. 

The principle, then, would be that God can make our dry places run with fresh, refreshing water. He can meet us at the point of our suffering, grief, and sorrow. And He not only meets us there, but He brings the sweetness of new life - even if it's just His breath awakening our hearts to His presence.

Today, I'll ask myself to reflect on any barren areas of my life that I haven't yet surrendered to Him. I will give Him my grief, sorrow, and sadness and ask Him to bring life to my soul. I'll shift my focus from my circumstances to His grace. That's where I'll rest as I wait for His streams to bring life. 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.

Small Miracles

 

I think we all hope for miracles. The caregiver may do this more than anyone. We read about some wonderful miracles Jesus did in the gospels. We even see miracles scattered throughout the Old Testament. Well, it all began with a BIG miracle, didn't it? I pray for a miracle touch for Chris every single day. And while he is consistently, continuously improving, I'm not seeing the "rise up and walk" miracle I've dreamed about.

This morning, during my prayer time, I was praying for my son, for people who have been on my heart, and even for you, my fellow caregivers. As I prayed, I wondered why we don't see the miracles we know God can do. Early on in my caregiving journey, that was a great source of frustration: knowing that He can, but hasn't. 

Then, my mind shifted to the fact that I was still praying. I had this thought: it's a miracle that I am still praying - that I still have faith even in great adversity. Even though life has had its unexpected turns, it's thrown us a few curve balls, and maybe we've even struck out a few times when it comes to what we thought was "faith," here we are, still hanging on to a thread of faith. That's no small miracle, y'all!!

Of course, it'd be great if God swooped through on His white horse and rescued us. But, in one way, he has done that. He has swooped in, so to speak, and carried us away, healed our emotions, and continues to provide His mercy and grace to help in our time(s) of need. Maybe the small miracle is that He keeps carrying us. He keeps sustaining us. He keeps keeping our souls and gives us His peace in the midst of life's turmoil.

Today, I will remind myself of how He continues to care for me. I'll meditate on His constant presence, which I love. My thoughts will run through His love for me as well as His power to sustain. That's no small miracle in my opinion. I'll just rest in Him and trust Him to carry me one more day. 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.

True Accessibility

Many caregivers care for loved ones with mobility issues. My son, for instance, is in a chair. My aunt, whom I took care of, walked with the aid of a cane or walker and still needed some assistance many days. Many places follow the "letter of the law" by adding accessibility features like ramps. But it doesn't take long to discover that even though they say they are "accessible" they are far from it. One business we went to has a very steep, short ramp to use to get into their building. It's accessible - but not safe, especially for older caregivers like me who need to push 200 pounds up that ramp! Lol.

Calling ahead is no help. Most places will tell you that you can get a chair in their establishment. They fail to communicate what it may take to do so! One hotel told me I could get my son's chair in any downstairs room. And I could, but that was it. I could only get it in the room and turn the chair next to the bed to transfer him. He had no access to the restroom or the rest of the room. Smh. I don't let it get to me anymore. I usually can figure something out - if there's anything to work with.

More recently, we visited a church to attend a Christian concert. The very helpful staff ushered us and another family up the elevator so we could be seated in the balcony, where we could see the show comfortably. We walked to the balcony entrance only to come to a set of stairs. Our small group stood in awkward silence for a couple of loooong seconds. Finally, I said something to Chris about not being up for that adventure. We all laughed, and it was all good - we ended up with a nice spot downstairs anyway. 

They were trying to be helpful - but just didn't think about the stairs. We were all able to laugh it off and enjoy the concert. 

Even places that say they are accessible, are often not accessible at all when it comes down to it. Many people just don't get it. But when God says He is accessible - He means it. We don't have to worry about a forgotten staircase, a steep ramp, or a door that's not wide enough for a chair! Lol. He welcomes us all and makes Himself accessible no matter what the shape of the heart.

Hebrews 4:16 bids us come - make an entrance before the very throne of grace to obtain mercy - and find the grace needed for the day. The blood of Jesus made the entry possible for everyone who believes. I picture God throwing open the doors of heaven's throne room and bidding us to come to Him. He is the purest picture of accessibility.

Today, I will meditate on how easy God made it for us to get to Him. It's like He's sittin' on the back porch of heaven sipping iced tea, waiting for us to show up and visit with Him today. I'll make it a point to stop by today. Will you join me?

I Triple-Dog Dare You!

 During my personal devotions this morning, I found another gem. I call these "gems" because they are powerfully valuable. For so long, religion demanded that we squelch our feelings and emotions. Many of us grew up in an environment where if we "felt" anything, it was declared a lack of faith. Extremists labeled us as faithless if something bad happened to us. So those with situations were shunned by religious folks who silently shook their heads instead of offering a prayer and a hand up. Hopefully, you don't have a clue what I am talking about. But for those who do - finding out that our Bible heroes actually had feelings and emotions is helpful. Their faith carried them through their struggles - not around them.

So, this morning, as I was reading a familiar passage in Lamentations 3, I found this phrase that stuck out to me. I was turning to read once again about how God's mercies (plural) are new every morning. I found a passage very similar to the one we shared in yesterday's devotion. Yesterday, Job poured out his heart as he shared memories of the life he'd lost. He was raw and real. Today, I found Jeremiah doing the exact same thing. So, it's not a sin to grieve. 

Jeremiah talks about sorrow, bitterness, and being walled in and bound with heavy chains in Lamentations 3. Take a couple of minutes to read this chapter, and you'll see Jeremiah pouring it all out before God. What better place is there to dump our thoughts and emotions where they are all over the place? I'm so glad it's not forbidden!

In verses 19 and 20, Jeremiah says his memories are bitter and hurtful. He says, I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Now, if you've never grieved over loss, you may not understand. Even during the pandemic, there was much unexpressed grief. We lost our lifestyles, and our norms, something very common to today's caregivers, yet the world suddenly had to share in our experience. While it's okay to feel those losses and grieve them, we don't want to set up camp there. That's why we pour them out to God.

After Jeremiah expresses his deep sense of loss, he says this: Yet I still dare to hope. (NLT) Then, he begins to talk about how God's mercies are renewed each morning - just for us! As I read and reread this passage, I dared myself to hope today. Did you ever dare your friends to do something when you were a kid? Boy, did I get in some binds because I couldn't turn down a dare! Lol. So, I dare you today to hope and trust God today.

Today, I declare that I will hope one more time. I will reach out of my emotional cave and grab hold of His hand and allow Him to lift me up to live today. While my emotions are raw and loss is real, I refuse to give in under the load. I'll turn to God today for my hope, life, strength, direction, and help. I'll remind myself that He is faithful - still. So, I can trust Him and hope in Him for one more day. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                                           

Buttered Steps and Slippery Biscuits

 This morning, I was working on a couple of new devotionals that I hope to have ready to put in my bookstore soon. One of the things I was studying was how God orders our steps. I pulled out an old-school Stong's concordance, which is still based in King James. I found this very interesting phrase listed out of Job. It said, "I used to wash my steps with butter...." I had to look it up to see what in the world it was talking about! 

I opened to Job 29 and started reading, and soon realized that Job was mourning his former life. He was listing out what his life looked like before he lost his children, his riches, and his health. In verses 2 through 6, he says, I long for the years gone by when God took care of me, when he lighted the way before me, and I walked safely through the darkness. In my early years, the friendship of God was felt in my house. The Almighty was still with me, and my children were around me. In those days, my cows produced milk in abundance, and my olive groves poured out streams of olive oil. (NLT)

I am guessing that the translators decided that "washed my steps with butter" meant that his cows were producing lots of milk. Lol. As I continued reading, I felt Job's pain. He was remembering how life was before. I've done that a lot. Grief and mourning are part of caregiving. For me, it means grieving over the son I lost in that wreck while loving the one who is still with me. Who he was is gone. Life was different.

It was similar to my mom, who had some form of dementia. I grieved over who she had been as I watched her slowly slip away. The story of many caregivers, right? Grief is not a sin. Mourning over what was lost is not wrong. We are allowed to feel. I wonder if people don't want us to "process" our raw and real emotions because THEY don't know what to do with them. But God will take them all!

Soon after Job poured out his heart, as we talked about yesterday, God answered. God strengthened Job and restored him when he prayed for his friends. So, even though it feels like it lasts forever, God will not leave us in our pain. He walks with us on the rough and rocky roads of life. Sings to us. Lifts us up, and carries us often. He will meet us in our pain, and never shuns us because we grieve over what was lost. We can trust Him.

Today, I will lift up my pain, emotions, grief, and mourning to Him, knowing that I am still welcome in His presence. He won't turn me away, or ask me to come back later after I "get over it." He fully understands there are some things that we will never "get over." I'll turn my soul to Him and let it cry out my heart to His heart, and I'll let Him carry me today. That's how much I trust Him. 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.

Pour It Out

 

Lately, it sure feels like my proverbial plate is full. And by that, I mean it just feels a lot fuller than normal. Thoughts run through my head like traffic on busy highways. And yes, that is plural highways, because my mind has a LOT of traffic. Lol. Somehow, it just feels like things are stacking up - not bad things, necessariy, just things. Some days it's a constant struggle to keep my mind captured and under the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) I can't even say it's worrying, it's just a lot of individual "stuff" that has to be dealt with every single day. That's caregiving, though, right?

So, this morning, when I "found" this verse in Psalms, I was like - man, do I need to do that today! David says in Pslam 62:8, O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out you heart to Him, for God is our refuge. (NLT) I stopped to think for a minute about the practicality of pouring out my heart before Him. My first thought was, does He really want all this? Followed by, where will He put all that? LOL. I know, too analytical, but it's who I am. Lol.

After I meditated on what it would look like to pour out my heart before Him, I backed up and read the previous few verses. David filled in some of the gaps for me and helped me to see that it is really just as simple as trusting God - with everything. Sometimes, the pouring out is done with words as we release our cares into His hands. Somehow, He joyfully accepts them all so that He can replace them with His peace. Amazing, ain't it?

The verses just before David reminds us to pour all our concerns out at His feet say this:

I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress where I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor come from God alone. 

He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. (NLT)

Once I pour everything out at His feet - there is no enemy that can get in my head - as long as I stay hidden in my Refuge. 

Today, I'm going to "let it all hang out" as I pour out each trouble, each situation, each struggle before my great God. I'll declare once again that He is my refuge, my rock, my salvation, and my fortress. I'm going to pack up all my emotions and run to Him - then pour it all out before Him and let Him sort it out for me. I will trust that He'll hand me back anything I need to carry - and He'll take care of the rest. I will wait patiently and quietly for Him to act on my behalf as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                                          

Held Up

 One thing I hear from caregivers a lot is that there is often not enough help. Recently, I requested a few hours of respite just because I literally have zero breaks. For many of us, it's a 24-7 deal. Even for those whose loved ones can be left alone for any amount of time, it's still rough. Someday, I'd like to go somewhere and not feel like I have to watch the clock so closely. Even if we are given a few minutes or hours to ourselves, we can't turn "off" all the caregiving switches. Right? Who will admit to running caregiving errands while you are being relieved by a sitter or another caregiver? (We all do.)

Anyone who tells you that caregiving is easy - just hasn't done it yet. It is indeed a labor of love. It may be instinctual. It is what we do. But the journey is rocky and rough at best, even if things go smoothly for 10 minutes now and then. (Lol.) So many factors feed into a single day; it's quite overwhelming, at best, even when things are good.

I was so happy to find this verse that lept out at me during my private devotion time this morning. I found myself in Colossians 1. In verses 15 to 17, Paul is talking to the new church about Christ, His role, and His power. In verses 16 and 17, he said, Everything has been created through Him and for Him. He existed before everything else began, and He holds all creation together. (NLT,1995)

When I read that last part, my mind when through a series of thoughts like scrolling through a PowerPoint. I thought, "He created everything. I'm an everything." Since He created me - and He holds all creation together - He's holding me together! I liked the picture that those thoughts formed. On those days when I feel like I just can't do one more thing - He holds me together. When my month has several days left, but the bank account is empty. He holds me together. When Chris is sick, and I'm trying to decide on the next level of care. He holds me together. I know that this is not really what Paul was talking about - but I also know that there are many days that He is the only thing holding me together.

Today, my thoughts will be on how He holds me together and holds me in His heart. I'll think about the image I have of Him just holding me close. When I am trying to piece together this puzzle called life - I will trust Him to hold me together. It's so amazing that this big, big, God stoops to be part of our day-to-day. But I'm glad He does. Will you join me as we let Him hold us together today?