Reluctant to Leave

Psalm 23:1-3

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.

This past May, I had the immense pleasure of going to a Christian writers conference, plus spending a couple of days all by myself at my sister’s home which is like a mountain get-away, a retreat, a sanctuary. The calmness, quietness, peace, stillness, beauty of nature, sounds of birds, and the wind in the trees were a soothing balm to my soul. I was able to sing aloud in praise to God while standing on the deck overlooking the green/blue mountain ranges in the distance. I studied God’s word while sitting in a comfy rocking chair on the front porch which overlooks colorful flowers and a rich array of greens on the trees. When I needed a break, an invigorating walk down and slowly back up the mountain was just what I needed to energize my mind and body. What a joy to see the wild flowers along the road which gave me a chance to stop, admire, and catch my breath.

Mountain top escapes are wonderful and absolutely necessary at certain times in our lives. From this vantage point, we can see a bigger picture, refresh our mind, body and spirit, hear from God and prepare to return to the valley. I was reluctant to leave that place of sanctuary and peace, yet the work that God has for me to do was waiting. Instead of dragging my feet and wanting to hold on to that experience, I had to turn my thoughts to gratefulness for the hours I had there, to thankfulness that I had meaningful duties to return to, and to awareness that I could leave with a stronger sense of God’s presence with me. I returned with my armor repaired and polished to do battle in the world of busyness and constant vigilance, a world with many demands from different sources. I’ll take what I learned and hope to be a blessing to those I encounter, remembering that I am the only one who can fulfill what God has called me to do. I will strive to pour myself out more fully now that I have been refilled myself, desiring that my life reflect Jesus in all I say, write, and do,

Every tank becomes empty at some point and cannot continue without a fill-up. Even Jesus had times when he removed himself from the crowds and responsibilities and retreated to a quiet place. In Mark 1:35 we read that Jesus rose early in the morning and “went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” The connection to our heavenly Father is of vital importance in keeping our tank full. Luke 5:16 says that Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”.

As a caregiver, it is hard not to feel guilty about taking some much-needed time alone to be refilled. However, we must ask for help, accept volunteers, farm out small tasks, and when at all possible, get away. We need some time to sleep when we want, eat what and when we want, dig into God’s word, pray, spend time with friends, laugh, sing, read a book, go to a movie, plant flowers, whatever brings joy and refreshes our souls. 

It's OK, really! We need it and those we care for will benefit from our break as well. They probably need a break from us too. Then when we return, we can let the light of Christ shine from our faces as we embrace and care for our loved ones once again.

Tip: Forget the to-do list. Go for a fill up.

Blessed to be a Caregiver

I am blessed to be a caregiver. OK, it doesn't always feel like a blessing, but feelings are fickle things. One of my passions is being able to help others and the Lord keeps giving me people who need care and who enrich my life.

I believe my caregiving days started way back when I was a child. I grew up in a big farm house with my parents, siblings, and grandmother. I loved spending time with Grandma and would brush her false teeth for her when she took them out at night.  This totally grossed out one of my sisters, but it didn’t bother me in the least. 

I especially enjoy helping the elderly. Yes, it can be tiring when you have to repeat yourself or talk loudly and they may be very set in their ways, but when they tell stories from their childhood, give you a smile or a hug, or blurt out whatever is on their mind, it’s all worth it.

I’ll never forget the day, when I had my own business, that one of my elderly clients met my high-school aged son for the first time. During cross-country season my son had a Mohawk and wore these trendy running shoes that wrapped around each toe individually. My client slowly looked him up and down and solemnly said “You’re right funny looking.” There was a brief pause and then we all burst out laughing!

What I’ve discovered about caregiving is that it’s not all about what we can do physically for the individual, but the relationship we can have with them. Building a sense of camaraderie and friendship helps the slower days of old age or illness pass more pleasantly. We may be the only person they talk with all day or all week. We can give them something different to think (or laugh) about as we share our lives with them. The added benefit is that our own lives are enhanced. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)

Therefore encourage one another and 

build one another up, just as you are doing.

As a caregiver, we are in a unique position to encourage and build people up. We can make them feel important and genuinely loved as we ask about their history and truly listen to them. Even if our client or loved one cannot respond verbally, we can still make a world of difference by treating them with love, respect, and gentleness. 

Caregiving can be an extremely difficult and thankless job, but if God has called you to be a caregiver, He will provide the strength and perseverance needed. If you are like me, your desire is to use the gifts that God has given you in whatever place you find yourself. It could be as a paid caregiver, an adult child taking care of aging parents, or a mom taking care of her small children. Whatever the case, I hope we continually realize the huge impact we have and the differences for good that we can make in the lives of those under our care. We never know when we may be in need of similar care and hope that we’ll be treated the same way. Regardless, we can know that the Lord sees and knows.

Tip: Go! Brighten someone's day.