Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Attitudes that Change Altitudes

me pushing Chris across a bridge at Yukon's boot park

I don't think there's one caregiving soul out there who would disagree with me if I said that caregiving is hard. No matter what our situations are, and there's really no way to compare and rank them, being a caregiver presents many challenges. Some days those challenges are spaced out as we've adjusted to our "new normals." Other days, it seems like they stack up one on top of another, and we just sit, watch, and wait for our lives to topple one more time.

Yesterday, I was able to put into practice some things I've been "preaching" on my Facebook Live devotions and here on Daily Devotions for Caregivers. Gratitude is a common topic, and we talk about it a lot. Honestly, some days it is easy to be grateful. Other days when we are scraping our way to survival, it's slightly (tongue in cheek) more difficult to even find something to be grateful for - let alone express it.

But yesterday, I had two moments where gratitude just welled up inside me. I was almost caught completely off guard. I was swimming with my grandkids, and just so thankful for more time with them this summer. Thankful that it literally worked out perfectly that I have them on the days the respite aid comes, so we can walk down to the pool. Secondly, the kids (their parents - yes, I'm old! lol) came and stayed for supper. It was just so nice to sit and have a pleasant conversation and share a meal together. Since I eat most of my meals alone, it was a real treat. Again, gratitude welled up in my heart.

I noticed I felt better - physically and emotionally.

I tried to embrace this gratitude. It felt so good that I didn't want it or the great moment to go away. Somehow, it changed my attitude, my thought patterns, my emotions, and my altitude! It seems to be getting easier to find moments of gratitude in the middle of the long, difficult caregiving days. It's easier because my attitude and perspective changed first.

Today, I will intentionally look for things to thank God for. It may be for 10 extra seconds to breathe before the next timer goes off, or a phone call from a friend, or even 5 minutes to sit and sip my tea uninterrupted. I'm pretty sure that God will meet me there - even if for a few seconds. I'll purposefully look for His peace today since He's already given it to me. I'll embrace gratitude, grace, and His peace and let those reign in my heart no matter what my eyes see or my body feels. I'll be thankful that He continues to walk with me through this thing called "time" and that He carries me as needed. So, I know I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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Out to Sea

Do you ever feel like you are just way out on the waves of life's sea, and everyone is on the shores waving and wishing you well? It's easy to feel like everyone has left, mostly because in most caregiving situations when it lasts more than a week or two - everyone does leave. They are not sure what to do with you or your loved one.

This morning, I was thinking about Jonah and Noah. One of them (Noah) obeyed God to a T. The other one, (Jonah) disobeyed God deliberately and intentionally. But God made it His business to meet both of them right where they were.

God met Noah in the Ark on the top of the water. He met Jonah in the belly of a fish at the bottom of the water. Their decisions to obey God or not put them in their positions in the water. But God met with both of them. He went out of His way to reach Noah and Jonah. This gives me some hope that no matter how I mess up or get things right, God will meet with me - because ultimately, it's the relationship with God that means the most in life.

Sometimes, as a caregiver, I can feel like I'm sailing away gently on the surface of the sea. Other times, caregiving has me in the depths of despair, just hoping God can even see me at all. The cool thing is that no matter how I feel, God's passion for me (for you) is still the same. He will come out to sea to find us, redeem us, and converse with us. It gives me great peace to realize He won't just leave me out on the seas of life. He will come. He will comfort. He will instruct.

Today, I will rejoice because I know that God's still watching over me. I'll remind myself that whether I'm sailing nicely in a boat on top of everything emotionally today or sitting and sulking in the belly of a whale, God has just what I need. He will not avoid me like people tend to - He will actually go out of His way to make sure I remember I am still His. I will trust that I am still His today, and I'll trust Him for today. Will you join me?

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Sent Out or Set Up?

Chris in his Ainsley's Angels racing chair doing a 5K

This morning, right in the middle of my FaceBook Live devotion called "Peace Out," I had this crazy thought. I was talking about Moses in reference to a scripture I'd been meditating on. One thing I've said over the last few years is that we cannot use our situations to measure God's grace. It's easy to think when everything is going bad that we missed it, we disobeyed Him, or we are just "way off." But that's not so.

Moses went to get the Children of Israel at the command of God. He also led them out of Egypt just as God had told him to. Yet Moses found himself in quite a pickle when he ran smack dab into the Red Sea. And to top it off, as if he needed a little more stress in his life, Pharoah was pressing in from behind. But his pickle of a situation didn't indicate he'd missed God at any point. His journey had only begun, but Moses was right where God wanted him to be. Actually, what I said that got my own attention was that God sent Moses out there. What?!?!??!

God sent Moses to get the Israelites. God sent the plaques. God rescued the Israelites and sent them behind Moses into the wilderness. God sent them right to the banks of the Red Sea. They hadn't missed God; they had followed Him there. Why would God do that?

Then I thought of the account in Matthew 14. Jesus sent the disciples ahead to the other side of the sea in a boat. A storm came up. Jesus effectively sent His disciples into the storm, right? Am I missing something?

I also thought of Paul and Silas in the jail cell, singing God's praises at midnight. (Pretty sure that's NOT what I'd have been doing! lol) God has sent them into ministry yet they got thrown in jail for preaching the gospel. Again, we cannot measure faith or obedience by our circumstances!

Here's where my thoughts landed, though. In each of these stories (and many more), God met the sent ones. He met Moses on the banks of the Red Sea. He met Peter and the disciples in the middle of the storm - actually walked out there to them! God met Paul and Silas in the jail cell. It's likely that He will meet the caregiver in the middle of the muddied days and nights of caregiving too.

We didn't do anything "wrong" to find our lives wrapped up in caring for another. We didn't miss God. He actually set us up so He could meet us in our "right here."

Today, I will see my caregiver's cave as a place where God wants and plans to meet me. I'll remind myself that God is not afraid of my caregiving lifestyle. My doubts, fears, and tears are not enough to keep Him away. My thoughts will be on how He plans on meeting me right here. So, I will wait for Him. Will you join me in the waiting today?

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Short Fuses and Cabooses

To say that the caregiver's proverbial plate is full, is an understatement. I keep trying to blame my short fuse on my age, but I know that it keeps getting shorter because of being overloaded and overwhelmed. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that each day has more things to do than what will comfortably fit inside of 24 hours. I'm constantly shifting tasks around and choosing the highest priority tasks to complete. That means some things get done - but not all. There's always some straggling chores to nag me every night. I honestly feel like I'm riding the caboose and barely keeping up, or not keeping up at all! Maybe it's just me. (?)

I am certainly guilty of pushing myself too hard and then condemning myself when I fail to reach my goals. I'm so glad that God is not like that! I was looking at all those listed has having faith in Hebrews 11 this morning. Many times, we are wowed by their abilities and accomplishments. But not one of them was perfect. Actually, all of them except Joseph failed miserably at one point or another. This did not exclude them from operating in faith. So, there is some hope for us!

It's far too easy to try to "measure" faith by what we get, have, or avoid. But faith actually has nothing to do with any of that. Faith means we are still trusting God, no matter what the day looks like. Trusting God in the middle of the storm is faith. Running to Him when things get too complicated or tough is faith. Asking Him for direction and wisdom is a great display of faith. Turning to Him at any point - and believing what He said is faith.

There were no totally flawless people mentioned in Hebrews 11. It is a list of some rowdy characters for sure. Even Rahab the harlot (how would you like that surname?) is listed as having faith. How is that possible? It's simple - she believed what God said. So, when we believe what's written in the Word and trust in Him - we have the faith we need for today too.

Today, I'll remind myself that faith can exist in the middle of a messed up life, even if it got messed up by bad choices. I'll think about how I continue to run to God with overflowing emotions, difficult situations, and horrible mess-ups - and how He comforts me every time. I'll remind myself that He's never kicked me out or cast me away, even if the mess was my own doing. He still offers grace, mercy, and peace. It takes faith to receive it. So, today, I'll be thinking about receiving His peace as I sit here in the caboose with my short fuse. And I will trust Him to get me through one more day. Will you join me?

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Broken is Not The End

Do you ever feel broken? Sometimes I look around at all the other "normal" people who are not caregivers, and feel like my life is so broken. As caregivers, we can't always do all the "normal" things like plan and take vacations, take a job in another city, or even hop in the car and run to the store to grab butter. When I scroll through facebook and I see all the things all the "cool" people get to do, it can start dragging my emotions down into the pit. But feeling broken is not the end.

Let me quickly distinguish the difference between broken and brokeness. Brokeness is a state we become before God. It's the realization of our desparate need for Him - whether we are broken or not. They are the first group Jesus mentioned in His first ever sermon on earth. In the sermon on the mount, He starts with Blessed are the poor in spirit (broken), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (NKJV) The NLT translates it this way - God blesses those who realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them. Brokeness is a realization that I need God in my life, caregiver or not!

Broken is quite different. We often think that if something breaks, it's not worthwhile anymore. This is not always true. I've broken several bones in my body, not all at the same time thankfully, and they just take some time to heal. They are not broken forever. That'll preach.

Somethings still work, even though they are broken into pieces. A broken crayon still colors beautifully, even if it means just using a little piece of it. A broken mirror - still reflects light. And a broken clock - is still right twice a day! Lol. Just because we may feel broken, doesn't mean we are beyond "repair." As a matter of truth - God move near to the broken hearted. (Psalm 34:18) He does not say that we are too broken for Him to be near us. People may avoid us because of our broken state - but God will not. As a matter of fact, He does not see us as broken at all.

We may percieve our lives to be broken - but not one thing in the kingdom of God (which is in us) is broken, weakened, or lost. We are still whole in Him. Our salvation is still in tact. When we look past the natural and into the spiritual, we'll realize nothing is broken in us, because God still makes His home in us.

Today, I will shift my focus from the things and ways I feel my life is broken. Instead, I'll meditate on the Kingdom of God that is still whole and still inside this weary body. I will choose to see myself whole in Christ and I'll remind myself that He is still the anchor of my soul, He holds me, He rescues me, and nothing is lost after all. I'll think about how the journey has strengthened my faith, solidified my resolve to serve Him, and deepened my love for God as I've come to know Him even more. I will trust that He's got me today - so I will rest in Him. Will you join me?

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Sink or Swim

I'm still thinking about Peter a lot. We like to think of him as a failure. After all, he did sink when he looked away from Jesus. But before you clutch your pearls, think of all those times your thoughts have strayed away, or you've looked the other way. I know I've done it lots of times. I did it before I was a caregiver, but caregiving has a way of sucking the life out of us. In our fight to survive, we can be easily distracted by the storms around us; all the while, His peace is standing right in front of us.

Us church people often toss condemnation Peter's way because he took his eyes off Jesus. But, hey, at least he had enough momentary faith to get out of the boat! He didn't think about sinking, all he could think about was getting to Jesus, and a few bumps along the way totally distracted his journey on the top of the water.

Jesus didn't let Peter fail. Even though it was Peter's fault for looking at the storm, Jesus still reached out a hand and helped pull Peter out of the water and put him back in the boat. How many times have I started a day of caregiving sitting in the boat declaring my faith or jumped out of the boat to get to Him? Then I stumble. I forget. I look at the enormous storm, the waves, and the wind. I sink into the tumultuous sea of emotions, and I'm soon swept under, unable to get my "head above water" again. I would drown there, too - if it weren't for the Prince of Peace who reaches out His hand to calm the storm in my heart.

Even when we "sink," we find ourselves trusting Him, don't we? I've gotten mad at myself a few times because I wanted to NOT trust Him - but when I sank, there He was once again. He is faithful when we feel faith-less. He is the peace when our lives are in pieces. He is the stable factor entered into every day as we ride out the waves of emotions and struggles that come with caregiving. He is with us - whether we sink or swim.

Today, I'll remind myself that God is right here. He doesn't pack up and leave when the winds start to blow or the rain starts to fall. He doesn't throw His hands up in disgust because He's got to "save our soul" one more time. I'll thank Him for being the one constant in a world of twists, curves, and change. I'll remind myself that He's always reaching for my soul, so I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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A Boat's Eye View

me holding chris up in his standing frame

This morning, I've been thinking a lot about when Peter walked on water. It's funny how we label the story that way, isn't it? Why not call it "The night 11 of the disciples were too afraid to move"? Why not call it "Water walking with all the other boats in the same storm looking on"? Most of the time, I've heard it referred to as when Peter walked on the water, Jesus walked on the water, or Jesus calmed the storm. No matter what perspective we view the account in Matthew 14, several things were going on at the same time.

There are a few things that stick out in these few verses. Of course, we know that Jesus ultimately brought peace. He calmed the storm that He had sent His disciples into just a few short hours earlier. He also came to His disciples in the middle of the storm. He didn't wait until the storm calmed - and He didn't calm the storm before He headed over toward their boat. Now that's a thought - He could have calmed the storm before He walked to them.

The storm revealed lots of heart conditions. From a boat's eye view, we see Peter fully trusting Jesus and jumping out of the boat to go to Him. We tend to give him a hard time because he sinks when he looked away. But he got out of the boat. The stormy sea and boat worked to reveal how much Peter trusted Jesus. What we don't usually hear mentioned is the 11 other disciples that just held onto the boat for dear life.

Peter sank in a desperate attempt to get to Jesus. And there's no way Jesus was going to let Peter drown.

Sometimes we tend to focus on the fact that Peter sunk. We totally ignore the fact that he got out of the boat in the first place with 11 others sitting by. Don't we do this to ourselves too? Maybe it's just me, but it's so easy to dwell on the ways I fall short, the areas where I sink, and my own failures without realizing that I'm still jumping out of a boat on a stormy sea every day in an attempt to get to Him. Let's celebrate that.

Being a caregiver can feel like living in a boat, on the sea, in a storm. But if we look, we'll see Jesus coming to meet us in our boat right in the middle of the storm. He's right there for us whether we sink, swim, walk on water, or stay in the boat, and He brings His peace with Him.

Today, I'll remind myself that Jesus is walking to me right in the middle of caregiving. The storm hasn't scared Him off, and He'll even stay after He brings peace to my soul. My meditations will be on His presence and how I can get to Him, even if it means taking a chance and jumping out of the boat. I will trust Him to keep me from drowning in my own emotions and circumstances today as I reach for Him with all my strength. Will you join me?

Today's Facebook live on this same topic (without the focus on caregiving!)

Would You Like to Help Dove's Fire Ministries?

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