God Made Today Too

 I found myself in Psalm 118:24 this morning. It's a familiar scripture that we used to sing in the Charismatic days. This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it. The funny thing I saw this morning is that the scripture is sandwiched between verses that are prophetically describing the sacrifice of Christ. I never thought about it before. It was a popular chorus back in the day, but had I known we were singing indirectly about the crucifixion, it might have changed how I sang it. 

My thoughts camped out on how God made, predetermined, and planned the crucifixion and knew just where He was putting it in time. He made the day. But He also made the day that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. He made the day you would be born, too. Today was also made by God.

God has given us our days on earth. Some of them are wonderful days. We celebrate birthdays, especially the days our kids were born. Milestones are celebrated, graduations, marriages, the day we met our soul mate or our best friend. I'm sure you can think of several "good" days that God made.

But He also made the days when the not-so-good things happen. My mind runs to the day my son had his wreck, the day I got divorced, and the day I figured out how sick I was. There are lots of good days and bad days that we can reflect on. But God made every single one of them. He even made the day we became caregivers. 

In Exodus 12:40-42, it says that the Children of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. Verse 41 says that it was the last day of the 430th year that God brought them out. But get this! In verse 42, it says, "This night had been reserved by the Lord to bring His people out from the land of Egypt, so this same night now belongs to Him. " (NLT). God set aside that day to go get His people. That gives me hope that He walks through my days, too, and appoints times to meet with me. 

No matter what a day brings, good or bad, God made the day. And ultimately, His plan is to walk through the days and long dark nights with us. He never made a day and said He'd come back to check on  us later. He made every single day and planned  to spend it with us no matter what.

Today, I will remind myself that God made this day. No matter how rough it goes, or how smoothly I may sail through it - He planned on walking it with me. This - Today was made for me. It was made for you. I'll meditate on the truth that He already knew what this day would bring and He plans on seeing me through it like He has all the other days before. I will be thankful that His plan is a "with" plan and not an "instead" plan. He is with us period, and He made today for us to experience Him. I will choose to trust Him to get me through one more day that He has made. Will you join me?

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Book of the Week!

Book of James Bible Study Guide

• ·         Are you ready to be challenged?
• ·         Can you answer hard questions honestly?
• ·         Want to take a deep look at your own Christianity?
• ·         Are you ready for James?

 

Grab a copy of the James Bible Study guide! This Bible study guide walks the reader through the book of James. Are you up for the truth challenge? James deals with some hard topics, the ones we don’t always want to face. This study guide provides thought-provoking questions that can lead to spiritual growth.

Think of it as a spiritual rugged obstacle course that helps you build stamina, strength, and endurance. Are you ready? Grab a copy if you dare! 😊

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Little by Little

 I don't know about you, but my days can become overwhelming quickly. It usually starts with my hyperactive mind running through all the things I should do today. All the things I need to do today and a realistic look at what I might be able to accomplish today. If I am not careful, I will end up sinking into the emotional mire and getting about half of what needs to be done completed. The good news is that I have found a couple of strategies that help me keep going so that at least the essentials are done.

One of these strategies is to focus on the day's tasks one at a time, little by little. It's so easy for the list to grow and start casting a shadow on my day, and the funny (not haha funny, either) thing is that it usually starts while I am doing the caregiving stuff. Usually, I make a list and have things running in my mind, but when I go into my son's room to start the morning get-up-and-going routine, my mind starts running away, and my heart stops dropping at how far behind I am before I even get started. (Maybe it's just me?)

The problem is that my own thoughts and emotions can sabotage me and render me mostly useless. I'll end up sipping coffee and staring at the wall too much. But if I can nip it in the bud, and just focus on what I am doing in the moment, I get a lot more done. I just have to pick something to do and stick with it until it's done - then pick one more thing to do until it's done. At the end of the day, I have more done than I would have had I taken time to stew over the load. Little by little, it all gets done.

Psalm 138:3 reminds us that God gives us the strength we need for the day. That's all we have to focus on anyway, just working through the day with the support of His grace and mercy. The good news here is that He's already given us what we need for today, before we got overwhelmed. Before we got sucked into a vicious emotional cycle. Before anything "got to us" - His strength was there.

Today, I'll remind myself that He's provided exactly what I need for today. I will tell myself that I can tackle this day and every caregiving task necessary through the grace and mercy that He already gave. Little by little, I can get through today as I continue to remind myself to lean into His heart over and over. My meditations will be on how He already prepared this day for me and me for this day - together, God and I can take it on and win in the end. I am determined to trust Him little by little for each little thing until I'm at the end of the day realizing how He carried me. I believe little by little, I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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Book of the Week!

Making of a Leader is the book of the week this week. It's a short course for Christian leaders, or for anyone who just wants to grow. 500 copies have already been translated into Urdu and distributed to churches in Pakistan, and we're moving toward a second printing! The eBook is available on the Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore website. You can also get a print version or Kindle version from my Amazon bookstore.

Over and Over

Well, it's morning, so here we are, starting a new day—one that looks like every other day yet oddly can change on a dime. Sometimes, it can feel like the movie Groundhog Day (which I've never watched, by the way!). But at any moment, everything can change, and it can mean a run to the hospital, changing things around because the aid didn't show (again), or any number of things that can catapult us into an emotional upheaval.

Since caregivers tend to live on the edge and not in the fun way, it doesn't usually take much to tip us emotionally. Seriously, it's barely past eight o'clock and I'm digging down deep to find a way to let His peace reign over my racing thoughts and tight emotions. But you know what? He gets me. He gets us. He sees it all, down to every nagging little thing digging at the peace He put in our hearts.

So, what's a caregiver to do? When things roll over us and wash out our emotions over and over - we just keep running to Him over and over, too.

I think David had that figured out. This morning, I took another walk through Psalm 31and David declared three times that his trust was in the Lord. Yet he wrote this psalm while hiding in a cave because Saul was in hot pursuit. David kept coming back to trusting God over and over again - and we can do it every day, too. Something new comes up - package it up, hand it to God, and declare that you are going to trust Him with it. Something old rares its ugly head. That's okay. Package it up, hand it to God, and declare your trust in Him again. As a matter of fact - we can put this process on automatic wash, rinse, and repeat cycle.

God will not get tired of us. He will not send us away. We will not wear out our welcome in His house. He won't scold us for bringing the same thing to Him over and over in a day, an hour, or a minute. Instead, He welcomes us over and over again. He takes our worries over and over again - as much as we can give it to Him. God won't tell us we reached our daily limit. He simply meets us right where we are over and over. That's what I love about Him.

Today, I will just keep bringing Him my concerns. I'll bring the old ones, the new ones, the in-between ones, and I'll keep handing them to Him in prayer until my brain registers that He's got me! My declaration for today will be that I will trust in Him. I'll trust His mercy. I'll trust His all-sufficient grace. I'll trust that He has me and will carry me as needed through this day. And I think I'll let Him! Will you join me?

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Book of the Week!

Making of a Leader is the book of the week this week. It's a short course for Christian leaders, or for anyone who just wants to grow. 500 copies have already been translated into Urdu and distributed to churches in Pakistan, and we're moving toward a second printing! The eBook is available on the Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore website. You can also get a print version or Kindle version from my Amazon bookstore.

The Stare

 

Do you ever just find yourself sitting and staring at the wall? It doesn't really happen too often because, quite frankly, who has time for that? But there are times during extreme burnout when I feel like I could sit, stare at the wall, and drink coffee all day long. I'm tired of strategizing about my day. I'm totally over all the mundane tasks that have to be done over and over again - but never get "done." My brain is fried trying to figure out which job to invest my time in and who is actually going to pay me on time. I am pretty sure I cannot do one more load of laundry or make one more meal. I'm fried and the stare has overtaken me and my brain. Lol. I really hope you cannot relate!

As caregivers, we have so much on our plates. Yes, I said "plates" because we have more than one full plate to manage and deal with every single day. Caregiving is usually just the biggest plate that's piled high. There's our finances, work, self-care (whatever that is), and our other fill-in-the-blank plates that are piled high, too - because it's different for each of us. 

What's a caregiver to do - except sit for the three minutes we have and stare at the wall? 

It doesn't take us long, as there's always something pressing that has to be done. 

How do we handle it? The constant pressure. The constant "need." The every day, day after day. 

For me - it means bringing it all back to God over and over again. He's quite used to me dumping it all on His lap while I stare at the wall and take another sip of coffee. I often write it all out in my journal, too. That's a nice strategy because it gives me a safe place to process emotions and thoughts. I usually end my rant with a prayer. One that becomes my declaration for the day. I will trust You for one more day, Lord. 

One of the best things though, is that I can totally be honest about my feelings with God. I mean, let's be real - it's not like He doesn't know! Lol. I learned that it was okay to say just about anything by reading the psalms. David and the other psalmists called it like they saw it. They said it like they meant it. And they all ended up trusting God no matter what, too. We are in good company!

This morning, I read Psalm 46 again to remind myself that God is present in my situation. I also needed it to remind me that He will answer the deepest cries of my heart. He's a safe place to pour our hearts out to. Then, it's up to us to learn how to wait for Him. Wait for His grace to carry us through. Wait for His mercies that were refreshed for us this morning. Wait for Him to carry us as needed. All He is waiting for is for us to trust Him with everything. He gets us.

Today, I will remind myself that God is present, as the psalm says. My situation doesn't scare Him away, and He has no intention of avoiding it. I'll think about how He is in it for the long haul and I will not be abandoned on the way - He doesn't have anything more important to do than to walk with me through today. That's an awesome thought that will be my meditation today as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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Bad Jugglers

 Do you ever feel like your days are filled with heroic juggling acts? I do. Then there are days that the juggling isn't so heroic. Actually, that's most days because it seems I'm always backed into a corner trying to figure out the must-dos and what can waits. Maybe I'm just a bad juggler. Lol. There are so many things for a caregiver to do each day. Things do have to be prioritized. And if you, like me, are trying to juggle caregiving, work, and ministry, well, some days just don't end well. Or at least I end them feeling like a huge failure.

One thing I have learned is to shift my focus from the things I chose to leave undone to the things I did accomplish in a day. It ended up being a big help for my mental health. I can spend my evening in the mully-grubs, thinking about the list of items I did not finish. Or, I can change the narrative and begin to list all the things I did get done that day. Our days are filled with shifting moments, aren't they? We have to think on our feet and eliminate some things to ensure our loved ones get the care they deserve and need. It comes down to being flexible and willing to make adjustments on the fly.

This weekend, I read the book of Ruth. Now, these three ladies went through some stuff. They made huge adjustments, and the book is only four chapters long! Naomi was widowed, and then her two sons died, leaving Ruth and Orpah widowed. I can't imagine the grief Naomi dealt with because of all her loss. She even asked to not be called "Naomi" since it means delightful. She chose instead to be called "Mara" because it means bitterness. Surely life dealt her a bitter hand.

But Naomi didn't stop and wallow in her pain. In fact, it seems she became anything but bitter. She began to encourage Ruth. Now Ruth was a Moabite, unaccustomed to the Hebrew customs. Naomi stepped up to the plate for Ruth and walked her through her situation so that she was covered and redeemed by Boaz according to the Jewish custom. Instead of becoming bitter, Naomi helped Ruth become better. She was able to juggle her own emotions and show up for someone else's benefit.

We juggle so many things, from finances to relationships, caregiving tasks to work, and housekeeping to personal care. What we choose says a lot about us! I want to be like Naomi who chose to help another up even in her own pain. I also want to be like Ruth, who made the hard choice of leaving her comfort and family behind to embrace a whole new world. Ultimately, I want to juggle everything in my life so that God is supreme.

Today, I will embrace the fact that there are lots of things to juggle. While I sort through each task's importance, I'll make sure God lands on top. My relationship with Him is not up to being juggled; it's a given. It's solid, and it's what carries me through juggling and sorting all the other parts of my day. I'll remind myself that I don't have to juggle grace, mercy, truth, and peace. I get them all, and no exchanges are needed. I can trust Him to lead me in my juggling. He'll let me know what to let go of and what is needed every moment of today. I can trust Him with today. I will trust Him with today. Will you join me?

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The King's Court

 I was listening to some new releases this morning from Zach Williams and Nicole C. Mullen. Over the years, I've written some songs. I'm not a great singer and definitely just get by as a musician. As I listened to these two outstanding artists, I had the thought that I'd never write a song the world would sing. I'm okay with that. But immediately following that thought was another one. It was how I will always have a place in the King's court. I sing for the One who matters. I'm quite okay with that too!

Thoughts of my seemingly broken life ran through my head. Not one second of my life was missed by God, including caregiving. No matter what happens or doesn't happen in life, we still have a place in His courts. My mind went to Mephibosheth. He was Saul's grandson and lived a large portion of his life in hiding and in fear. But David sought him out and gave him his rightful place in the king's court. (2 Samuel 9)

Mephibosheth had a caregiver. When the battle heated up, his nurse was carrying him and running away for safety, and she tripped and fell. His feet were injured in the fall, and he could not walk. We are caring for our loved ones because, for whatever reason, they cannot totally care for themselves. But we are all invited to the King's table and we all have a place in His court, both the caregiver and the caregivee are welcomed in His house.

I love that about God because the caregiver soon finds out that they are not always welcomed in every setting. Sadly, it's often even in a church setting. Ask me how I know! Lol. But God never turns us away. He doesn't say we are not worth it. He won't look the other way and ignore us. He opens up His courts, His table, and His arms to welcome us in. I needed to be reminded of that today.

So, today, I will meditate on how God welcomes us and our loved ones with open arms. It doesn't matter to Him if they can't walk, talk, or perform daily tasks. He loves us, and He loves them. We are all welcomed in His house. As a matter of fact, we are invited. My thoughts will be on His grace, His mercy, and His love for me and my loved one today. I'll let thanksgiving take over my thoughts because He sees past the situations to the persons inside, and He still chooses to hang around. I think I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me? 

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Paperback, Kindle, or eBook

Affirmations for Caregivers contains an affirmation, a verse or two to read, and a prompt for a very short response for each day for a month or 31 days.  You can download the eBook from the Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore right now and print it and and start today! The print version is also now available on Amazon! Check it out!

Don't forget the videos for the devotional are all on my YouTube channel too!

Distracted? Drivers?

 

Yesterday, I thought a lot about distractions. I was thinking about some of our Bible heroes and how they got distracted from what God had said. First, I thought about Samson. He was totally distracted by Delilah. The important part of that story is that God still fulfilled the promise He had given about Samson. The distraction didn't change God's mind about using Samson.

In 1 Kings 13, a young prophet was given precise instructions from the Lord. He let an older prophet distract him from what God had said. It ultimately cost the young prophet his life. A simple distraction.

There can be many distractions in our lives, and caregiving can hold our attention and efforts, for sure. But what if we turned the distractions, even those that come with caregiving, into drivers? What do I mean? I think I mean that it's so easy to get distracted by our day-to-days, but we can use those distractions, and caregiving in particular, as drivers. A driver is the total opposite of a distraction. 

Distractions try to direct our attention to a multitude of other things. Drivers propel us right to the heart of God. I think over the years, caregiving has become more of a driver than a distraction. Even though there've been times when I was upset or downright mad at God, I always end back up in His lap. I'm starting to wonder if every situation - good, bad, or indifferent - becomes a distractor or a driver.

One thing I'm sure of is that caregiving and the related pressures, stresses, and responsibilities definitely drive me to the heart of God and back to His word. That's a good thing. Whether today is a "dark night of the soul" day or it's bright and cheery, God's got us covered. That's where I want to keep my focus. I refuse to let distractions draw my attention away to other things.

Today, I will cling to Him. I'll try to remember to run to Him before the day gets too busy or I get too burdened down to hear His gentle voice. I will lean in and listen for His heart, which is beating for me (and for you). Nothing is going to distract me from His heart today. In fact, anything that does come, I will turn it into a driver that carries me right back to Him! Will you join me?

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Paperback, Kindle, or eBook

Affirmations for Caregivers contains an affirmation, a verse or two to read, and a prompt for a very short response for each day for a month or 31 days.  You can download the eBook from the Dove's Fire Ministries Bookstore right now and print it and and start today! The print version is also now available on Amazon! Check it out!