Daily Devotion
Welcome to this daily devotional for caregivers. It is my hope that you will draw strength and encouragement in this little space of respite from your daily responsibilities. May God bless you through these thoughts, words and prayers.
June 22, 2009
My apologies for being away, I was ill and the meds for the illness made me even sicker. I'm back from the depths and beginning to feel human again so the devotional will resume hopefully by tomorrow. I spent the time reading a classic allegory that will provide much devotional fodder so the time was not lost, thanks be to God. Peace, B.
June 15, 2009
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see
the Day approaching.
- Hebrews 10:24-25
I frequently visit other websites for
caregivers and many of them have message boards that serve as online support
groups. It’s amazing to read about some of the circumstances some caregivers
are in, sometimes it’s so sad. You can feel the pain and frustration and
weariness in some of their postings. My heart just goes out to those folks and
I am reminded how blessed I am to not have to deal with problems of that
magnitude. The thing that is just so uplifting is reading the responses; there
is so much understanding and support given by other caregivers. Time after time
the original poster will write back with such gratitude just to have someone
who cares who will just listen and be encouraging. This scripture passage
reminds us how important it is to reach out and encourage others, we are not
meant to shoulder our burdens alone. God does provide what we need and
sometimes what we need most is for someone to listen and to care.
Loving God, thank you for your promise to be with
us, thank you for the people you put in our paths to encourage us and to listen
to us when we feel overwhelmed and alone. Give us eyes to recognize them and hearts
to receive their support and encouragement. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
June
13, 2009
Be
shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not
because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not
greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the
Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never
fade away. Young
men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe
yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the
proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves,
therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast
all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. -
1 Peter 5:2-7 NIV
Humility and submission seem to be the focus of God’s
message to me this week. But not the sack cloth and ashes type of humility, the
woe is me thinking that I automatically associate with those concepts. Rather,
I am beginning to understand them in the context of this scripture which is
more in line with trust and confidence. It’s all too easy to adopt an attitude
of martyrdom when you have the responsibility of caring for others, that’s why
mothers are so good at laying on the guilt. I’ve been a mother for over 30
years so I know whereof I speak. The humility and submission that God wants in
us is motivated by the complete opposite attitudes. When we take ourselves, our
self-concerned selves out of the equation it’s much easier to live in a state
of trust. I can trust that God will provide me with the ability and the
resources to do whatever task he has entrusted me with. I can be confident that
God can handle all of the things I want to be anxious about, that I don’t have
to control people or situations. I can accept people as they are and leave
changing or “fixing” them up to God. I can have the confidence to give and
receive grace. What a relief that is when you stop to think about it. I don’t
have to do God’s job, I only need to do my appointed tasks and God will handle
everything else. Awesome.
Good Shepherd, God of all compassion, it is such a blessing and a
comfort to know that we can cast all of our anxieties on You. We know that you
will provide all that we need to tend the sheep you have entrusted to our care,
that we do not have to do everything through our own limited power. Help us to
understand that the acts of humility and submission are really acts of trust
and hope that are the connection to your power which never ends, never fails. In
Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
June 12, 2009
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32 NIV
The very act of providing care for another is rooted in compassion. You may not always feel compassionate, you may not always even act out of compassion. There are just a whole bunch of feelings, thoughts and attitudes that come along with caregiving and they continually struggle against each other and while we like to think that compassion and gentleness will win out many times they don't. It takes commitment and a decision to order our thoughts so that the good ones can overcome the less than good. I heard a story from a friend yesterday about her own struggle in an everyday situation to reorder her thoughts. She was in a busy discount store at the checkout. There was a mother with several small children in her line ahead of her and another mother with several small children in a nearby line and the two families were like night and day. The family in her line were polite and well-behaved. The others were chaotic and noisy. The friend found herself thinking less than lovely thoughts about the noisy, chaotic family. As she stood there thinking critical thoughts about the young mother whose baby was wailing and whose older children were rambunctious and out of control the other mother finished checking out, sat her children on a nearby bench where they waited quietly and went over to the other mother to offer to hold the crying baby and distract the other children so she could finish her business. My friend found herself humbled and ashamed of her critical thinking and lack of compassion for this overwhelmed mother. I can so relate to that story. Who among us hasn't done the same? It's like a knee jerk reaction to me when I hear a child melting down in a public place, "Why don't 'those people' have control of their children, why don't they either make them behave or take them out?" I crawl up on my high horse rather than try to assess the situation and consider how I might help someone who may be at the end of their rope. I think about what a great testimony this kind woman was to my friend, to the woman she helped and to everyone nearby who witnessed this compassionate act. I would so much rather be the compassionate one than the critical one. I want to be that kind of witness to the world and to my friends and family. I am thankful that my friend had the humility to share that experience, it has been a great reminder to me to stop before I think, to think before I act and to act out of my better nature.
God of great compassion, forgiveness and love, how grateful we are for others who are examples of those qualities for us. Help us learn to nurture those qualities in our hearts and minds and actions. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
June 11, 2009
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
We live in a world filled with human people who do human things. If we count only on other people to understand and console us in our struggles or when we feel alone then we are bound to find disappointment at some point. Most of us do have friends and loved ones who do comfort us and try to understand our situations most of the time or at least some of the time and they are surely gifts to treasure. But people are imperfect and human and can’t always meet our deepest needs or comfort us in our deepest hurts. But this passage reminds us that the One who created us is the Father of compassion and the God of ALL comfort. God is the provider of that peace which passes all understanding – the peace that brings comfort even in situations where it seems there is no comfort to be had. And when we learn to receive that peace, to be comforted by the God of all comfort we replenish our souls and gain the ability to share that comfort and peace with another wounded and weary soul. When we look to God to provide for our needs we find that we receive enough for ourselves and more to share with another.
God of all comfort, God of great peace, it is only from You that we receive real strength and healing of our very souls. Help us learn to look to You to provide what we need most every day. Help us to recognize the abundance of love and comfort You have waiting for us, help us to open our hearts and minds to receive them from you and open our eyes to the opportunities to share them with another wounded soul. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
June 10, 2009
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
- Psalm 107:1-7
It is so easy when we are in the midst of living life in the day to day to dwell on the aggravations, the struggles, the obstacles... we forget sometimes to notice the small triumphs, blessings and joys that are present each day as well. This Psalm reminds us to "let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" It is a reminder to pay attention to the good in each day rather than to focus on the things that bug us. We can truly "cry out" to the Lord in our trouble but we should remember to rejoice with Him in the good things as well.
Loving and grace-filled God, help us to have eyes to see even the small blessings You bring with each new day. Help us to recognize the beauty and love and joys that provide us with the strength to meet the challenges of the day as well. In Jesus' name, Amen.
June 9, 2009
But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
- Isaiah 43:1-3
Throughout the Bible there is no other promise from God that we are given more often than this one. I will be with you. Not, “Fear not, everything will be okay.” Not “Fear not, you will have everything you want or even everything you need” although God does promise to provide for our needs. (He just doesn’t always do it in the way we wish he would or in the ways we expect.) No, the promise God gives us more than any other is that he will be with us. This is especially good news for caregivers I think. One of the more difficult aspects of being a caregiver is the feeling that you are in it by yourself. Many caregivers either do not have or do not know of any other resources that could provide some respite. Sometimes we do not have help because we do not ask. Sometimes we don't know who we can ask. Sometimes we are stubborn and feel like we shouldn't have to ask. But no matter what our situation, we can take comfort in God's promise always to be with us, waiting to give us comfort, strength, guidance and most of all love. We are never really alone.
Gracious and loving God. Thank You for Your promise to always be with us. Open our hearts and our eyes to recognize Your presence even when our days are dark and we feel alone. Especially on those days, Lord. Remind us that You will not let the waters sweep us away or the darkness overcome us, that You have called us by name and that we are precious in Your sight. In Jesus' name, Amen.
June 8, 2009
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
- Exodus 20:12
This seems to me the perfect verse to begin with for a caregiver's devotional. This is, I think, the root of all that we do as caregivers for our aging parents. Certainly we do it out of love, but love ebbs and flows and some days is hard to muster up. Some days we have to remember that love is a decision and not a feeling. We recognize that some days we are neither lovable nor loving. But honor is always there. We honor our parents by caring for them and/or by ensuring that their needs are provided for. We provide for their care regardless of how we or they may feel on any particular day. This is also the only commandment that has a promise attached to it. God was telling the Israelites that they would enjoy the blessings he was providing for them throughout their lives if they remembered to honor their parents who had fled out of Egypt with Moses who was leading them on the path God had made for them. I believe that God still holds that promise out to us today. Things weren't always a cake walk for the Israelites as they journeyed out of slavery toward a land of promise and they aren't always easy for us as we walk the path God has laid out for each of us. But there is that underlying promise that in honoring our parents we honor God and that God will provide for us today and tomorrow and long into the future.
Gracious and loving God, we thank you for your promises, we thank you for your faithfulness and we look to You to provide the strength and inspiration that we need each day as we honor You by honoring the parents You have given us. Help us to always remember that You are present with us in the good and the bad, in the darkness and the dawn, in happiness and in sorrow. Help us to see Your hand at work in our lives and in those we care for each day. Amen.
