Recently I watched a very inspiring video. A college student hit her first ever home run but tore something in her knee and couldn't make it past first base. The other runners ran for home but she was stranded on first. Her team couldn't help her because it would forfeit the run and make it only a two run single. A couple of young ladies on the other team picked her up and carried her across the rest of the bases to home plate! I was so inspired...then I started thinking about it...I've been in this pain (which can be immobilizing at time for the cargiver) for 2 and a half years. What if I cannot get past a "first base" that may come up in our lives? Who would carry me to the goal?
In the video it was the opposing team's members who carried her. Now you know, our opponent is Satan and he ain't gonna help us out in the least! lol! But when I am wounded, or hurting, or can't go on...Who's gonna carry me?
The church disappeared a short way into this journey of caregiving. So I cannot really count on them. I have a few friends here...but will they carry me?
So I began a short search for scriptures and found one most interesting. Deuteronomy 1:30-31 states this The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.
Somehow it was a very comforting thought that He intentionally went after His people who were bound in Egypt, set them free, then carried them through the wilderness to safety. He certainly didn't make all their problems and obstacles disappear (that would of course be my choice!) but He did not abandon them to the wilderness either! He will carry us through when the pain is too much to bear. I love the thought of Him carrying me like a father gently carries his son!
Challenges are...Well...Challenging!
Many times caregivers are faced with huge challenges. It can sometimes simply be trying to make it through a particularly rough day. These are different for each of us. For my situation it's been transfers. That's not the only one of course - but that was the scariest part of bringing my son home.
As he has improved and I have improved my techniques it has become quite easy - or at least I don't dread it as much. I used to sit and contemplate each transfer and worry about it. Then after it was done I'd be relaxed and reward myself with a cup of coffee! Now it is just part of the day...
We start to get used to our own surrounding no matter what type of challenges they present to us. And maybe it doesn't get any easier, we just get more accustomed to doing them. We adapt to inadequacies and learn how to do what we have to do. Face it - we really have no other choice - it has to be done!
I've often wondered if God looks at us in our own frail state and contemplates how He is going to transfer us. You know, He has to move us from point A to point B even in our circumstance. As we learn to listen to Him and lean on Him I think those transfers get a little easier. sometimes He must lift us more than others and sometimes we can help out a lot!
I am not going to give up on caregiving no matter how challenging it is or it becomes. And God is not going to give up on us either. As a matter of fact one of my all time favorite scriptures is Romans 8:38-39. It says that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from His love... nothing! It's also interesting to note that earlier in the same chapter Paul wrote the sufferings of this present time cannot even be compared with the glory to come. I think my trouble is that I concentrate on the trouble of the present time more than I think about the glory to come!
So today - my meditations will be on the glory to come...and I have a sense that when I place my thoughts and heart on His glory - the present pain and trouble will fade into it...
As he has improved and I have improved my techniques it has become quite easy - or at least I don't dread it as much. I used to sit and contemplate each transfer and worry about it. Then after it was done I'd be relaxed and reward myself with a cup of coffee! Now it is just part of the day...
We start to get used to our own surrounding no matter what type of challenges they present to us. And maybe it doesn't get any easier, we just get more accustomed to doing them. We adapt to inadequacies and learn how to do what we have to do. Face it - we really have no other choice - it has to be done!
I've often wondered if God looks at us in our own frail state and contemplates how He is going to transfer us. You know, He has to move us from point A to point B even in our circumstance. As we learn to listen to Him and lean on Him I think those transfers get a little easier. sometimes He must lift us more than others and sometimes we can help out a lot!
I am not going to give up on caregiving no matter how challenging it is or it becomes. And God is not going to give up on us either. As a matter of fact one of my all time favorite scriptures is Romans 8:38-39. It says that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from His love... nothing! It's also interesting to note that earlier in the same chapter Paul wrote the sufferings of this present time cannot even be compared with the glory to come. I think my trouble is that I concentrate on the trouble of the present time more than I think about the glory to come!
So today - my meditations will be on the glory to come...and I have a sense that when I place my thoughts and heart on His glory - the present pain and trouble will fade into it...
Through the Storm
There are many ups and downs in the life of a caregiver. One minute (literally) there can be excitement and the very next emotions can totally bottom out. Believe me - this is no indication of sanity or the lack thereof! We know days, moments, and seconds can go up and down. There are good days and bad days.
Some days it seems easy to keep a handle on things (ie - things are going well!). Other days it seems like life has passed us by and there is so much on our plate and it's just difficult to handle even the little things. Days like that make it difficult to remember that He directs our steps. Actually, when things are difficult it's easy (at least for me) to become angry with God because the steps of life have taken this direction into full time caregiving...
He never promised us that everything would be easy or simple. He did not even create the earth as one great plain with no ups and downs. He created the mountain heights as well as the valleys low. And it all balances out into one perfectly functioning ecosystem.
Proverbs 15:19 states: the way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. Now, if you are a caregiver I can assure you that you are no sluggard! There's no room for laziness when someone else's daily living rests in your care. Our promise here is that He will level it all out.
He brings peace when it doesn't even make any sense. He provides every necessary thing to live a godly life. (2Peter 1:3) Look that one up - because He says that His divine power has given everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him...and there's no exclusion there for the caregiver! He will provide even in the storm. That's something that we can grab ahold of each moment of the day...His hope will carry us through. His nature will sustain us! Cling to Him today and rest in His hope and strength.
Some days it seems easy to keep a handle on things (ie - things are going well!). Other days it seems like life has passed us by and there is so much on our plate and it's just difficult to handle even the little things. Days like that make it difficult to remember that He directs our steps. Actually, when things are difficult it's easy (at least for me) to become angry with God because the steps of life have taken this direction into full time caregiving...
He never promised us that everything would be easy or simple. He did not even create the earth as one great plain with no ups and downs. He created the mountain heights as well as the valleys low. And it all balances out into one perfectly functioning ecosystem.
Proverbs 15:19 states: the way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. Now, if you are a caregiver I can assure you that you are no sluggard! There's no room for laziness when someone else's daily living rests in your care. Our promise here is that He will level it all out.
He brings peace when it doesn't even make any sense. He provides every necessary thing to live a godly life. (2Peter 1:3) Look that one up - because He says that His divine power has given everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him...and there's no exclusion there for the caregiver! He will provide even in the storm. That's something that we can grab ahold of each moment of the day...His hope will carry us through. His nature will sustain us! Cling to Him today and rest in His hope and strength.
Just Capture A Moment
So I was meditating on the topic of John the Baptist and different prophets in the Bible. I was thinking about how each one was called. This was my mental preparation for the weekly newsletter that I send out through my ministry. (Dove's Fire) As I thought about John the Baptist I thought there is no record of his calling into ministry. He just appears out of the wilderness full of the fire of God!
Then the thought occurred to me that his mom was Elizabeth. And when she conceived John the Baptist instead of publicly celebrating the removal of her reproach, she hid herself away to celebrate with God. And now here's her son who we know nothing about except his birth and short-lived ministry. He appeared out of the wilderness...and I wondered if he did the same thing his mama did. Did he feel that urge to be with God and go spend time with Him until he was prepared? I think it's a safe assumption although I cannot prove it in scripture (yet...).
There is a lot to finding that quiet place alone with God. But for the caregiver it is not always an easy task. There is so much to do to take care of our loved one that too many times there is no time left for ourselves. And for me personally, if I don't get a few minutes to myself to be with Him in the morning - the day is quickly so hectic that I can never capture a quiet moment again!
But it is important for two reasons. We really need to do something for ourselves - why not? We do everything we can for someone else but many times do not allow ourselves even the luxury of sitting quietly for a few minutes. We deserve that few minutes of quiet meditation on the word. And really - we need it. We need to hear from Him, feel His touch, hear His breath...sometimes that is what will carry us through the day of caregiving. So take time - some time during your day for you to spend with God. You will find that you are refreshed - and like John the Baptist - filled with His fire once again. He will give you the strength to carry on!
Then the thought occurred to me that his mom was Elizabeth. And when she conceived John the Baptist instead of publicly celebrating the removal of her reproach, she hid herself away to celebrate with God. And now here's her son who we know nothing about except his birth and short-lived ministry. He appeared out of the wilderness...and I wondered if he did the same thing his mama did. Did he feel that urge to be with God and go spend time with Him until he was prepared? I think it's a safe assumption although I cannot prove it in scripture (yet...).
There is a lot to finding that quiet place alone with God. But for the caregiver it is not always an easy task. There is so much to do to take care of our loved one that too many times there is no time left for ourselves. And for me personally, if I don't get a few minutes to myself to be with Him in the morning - the day is quickly so hectic that I can never capture a quiet moment again!
But it is important for two reasons. We really need to do something for ourselves - why not? We do everything we can for someone else but many times do not allow ourselves even the luxury of sitting quietly for a few minutes. We deserve that few minutes of quiet meditation on the word. And really - we need it. We need to hear from Him, feel His touch, hear His breath...sometimes that is what will carry us through the day of caregiving. So take time - some time during your day for you to spend with God. You will find that you are refreshed - and like John the Baptist - filled with His fire once again. He will give you the strength to carry on!
O What A Savior!
That old hymn just was running through my head. O what a Savior, O hallelujah! I guess that's because of the verse I was meditating on earlier this morning. In my reading I found Joel 3:16. The latter portion of the verse says The Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel. It is one of those times when something just kinda reaches out and grabs ya!
I thought of all the things my 50 years has seen and how He has indeed been that refuge. He has been there all the time. When I was ill with the mystery illness that doctors never found - He was there. When I was in a wreck with a bus and was thrown out of the vehicle - He was there. When I went through a divorce and raised my children as a single parent -He was there. And now that I am a full time caregiver for my son who was injured in an automobile accident -He is still there. He will always be my refuge - my safe place to run and hide from the storm.
Dennis Jernigan is one of my favorite psalmists and he sings a song taken from the Psalms - Hide me in the cleft of the rock.... And that is exactly what God does when we run to Him. There is a hiding place in Him where nothing can touch us. Today let's meditate on God our refuge - not that He keeps the storm from happening - but that He gives us a shelter - a refuge - The Rock!
I thought of all the things my 50 years has seen and how He has indeed been that refuge. He has been there all the time. When I was ill with the mystery illness that doctors never found - He was there. When I was in a wreck with a bus and was thrown out of the vehicle - He was there. When I went through a divorce and raised my children as a single parent -He was there. And now that I am a full time caregiver for my son who was injured in an automobile accident -He is still there. He will always be my refuge - my safe place to run and hide from the storm.
Dennis Jernigan is one of my favorite psalmists and he sings a song taken from the Psalms - Hide me in the cleft of the rock.... And that is exactly what God does when we run to Him. There is a hiding place in Him where nothing can touch us. Today let's meditate on God our refuge - not that He keeps the storm from happening - but that He gives us a shelter - a refuge - The Rock!
Hidden With Him
This morning I was researching a topic when my devotions led me to Luke 1. One little phrase caught my attention; it had to do with Elizabeth. She was older and barren but the scripture says that she and Zechariah were both righteous before God. (v 6 ESV) That's an interesting point in itself as many probably thought it was God's judgment that didn't allow them to have children. That's just the way it was back then. If you had children you were blessed and if not then you were cursed, at least that's the way the culture leaned.
So that's point number one. Many people think because something we deem as bad has happened to us that it is God's way of cursing us. There can even be accusations from "Christians" to the extent that they say we are in sin since God didn't protect us from something terrible happening to us. Elizabeth was barren - but she was righteous! Just because we cannot live our lives like the "rest of the world" does not mean that we are barren or cursed - we just have a different set of circumstances to deal with in our daily lives. Being a caregiver has nothing to do with if we are righteous or not. And if we cannot get out and go to church - we can be looked on like Elizabeth - as if we are barren...but we are not - and this brings me to the second point I saw in this passage.
Point number two is that once God touched Elizabeth and she conceived - she kept herself hidden for 5 months! I'm like What? If all my neighbors were heaping reproach on me and the reason for it was removed - I'd be singing and dancing and letting everyone know! But Elizabeth hid herself for the first 5 months - and rejoiced in God's blessing alone. Wow, what intimacy with Him! (v 24-25)
Just because we are caregivers and can walk for many hours, days or weeks basically alone does not mean that God has abandoned us. To others it may look like we have a barren life. But if we can sort through the emotions and loneliness we can have a very fruitful existence hidden away with Him. He does not put any reproach on us; and He has not abandoned us to our circumstances. He is here with us to create fruitfulness in our lives - it just doesn't look like everyone else's process...
So that's point number one. Many people think because something we deem as bad has happened to us that it is God's way of cursing us. There can even be accusations from "Christians" to the extent that they say we are in sin since God didn't protect us from something terrible happening to us. Elizabeth was barren - but she was righteous! Just because we cannot live our lives like the "rest of the world" does not mean that we are barren or cursed - we just have a different set of circumstances to deal with in our daily lives. Being a caregiver has nothing to do with if we are righteous or not. And if we cannot get out and go to church - we can be looked on like Elizabeth - as if we are barren...but we are not - and this brings me to the second point I saw in this passage.
Point number two is that once God touched Elizabeth and she conceived - she kept herself hidden for 5 months! I'm like What? If all my neighbors were heaping reproach on me and the reason for it was removed - I'd be singing and dancing and letting everyone know! But Elizabeth hid herself for the first 5 months - and rejoiced in God's blessing alone. Wow, what intimacy with Him! (v 24-25)
Just because we are caregivers and can walk for many hours, days or weeks basically alone does not mean that God has abandoned us. To others it may look like we have a barren life. But if we can sort through the emotions and loneliness we can have a very fruitful existence hidden away with Him. He does not put any reproach on us; and He has not abandoned us to our circumstances. He is here with us to create fruitfulness in our lives - it just doesn't look like everyone else's process...
God's Little Smile
Moving can be a huge task no matter what the circumstances. But as a caregiver (and a single one at that) it is more than overwhelming. All the decisions you are making for someone else and making sure it will all work for you and them. There are so many questions wondering how the daily tasks will be carried out and can wheelchairs and other necessary equipment will fit with ease... just so many things to consider on top of the regular moving worries.
Then for me, there's all this second guessing after the decision is made. Will he adjust well, be comfortable and accept a new place. You know how stressful it can be!
The day after I signed papers on the new apartment I came by to take a quick look before the real moving began. I went out to the patio because the tiny backyard was a plus! And there smiling up at me was a beautiful tulip! It was not even visible the day I viewed the apartment and there is was so colorful and majestic in its own way. It may sound weird but it actually brought a tear to my eyes...it was a small thing but stuck out beautifully! It was like God's smiled and it gave me the energy to tackle the move!
Look around today and notice the little things. God doesn't always speak using rolling thunder and lightning dancing across the sky. For Elijah it was a still, small voice. (1 Kings 19:9-18) Sometimes we look for God to shake the earth when He speaks to us; but many times it's in very small things and happenings. Take time to find His smile today...
Then for me, there's all this second guessing after the decision is made. Will he adjust well, be comfortable and accept a new place. You know how stressful it can be!
The day after I signed papers on the new apartment I came by to take a quick look before the real moving began. I went out to the patio because the tiny backyard was a plus! And there smiling up at me was a beautiful tulip! It was not even visible the day I viewed the apartment and there is was so colorful and majestic in its own way. It may sound weird but it actually brought a tear to my eyes...it was a small thing but stuck out beautifully! It was like God's smiled and it gave me the energy to tackle the move!
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