ANTIDOTES FOR WEARINESS

A place that refreshes

"You were tired out by the length of your road,

Yet you did not say, ‘It is hopeless.’

You found renewed strength;

Therefore you did not faint. " ~Isaiah 57:10

"Care giving IS wearying!" Carving out places and spaces for refreshment are vital components to lessen that hopeless feeling of reaching the end of those frazzled nerves. May the Lord direct you to those places and spaces of refreshment as He has for me.

Perhaps one of the hardest tasks of caregiving is allowing ourselves to be transparent👀, molded and conformed to God's image. 

Exposed!

 

Our agendas are exposed.

Our pride and arrogance is exposed. 

Our fears are exposed.  

Our selfishness is exposed.

Our weaknesses are exposed.

Our anxieties are exposed.

Our relationship with God is exposed.

Our relationship with others is exposed.

Our desperate need for help is exposed.

Our resentment is exposed.

Our fits and tantrums are exposed.

Our messy housekeeping is exposed.

Remember when

"And Yahweh was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might go by day and by night."  ~ Exodus 13:21

A refreshing message from God "that no matter how much we kick and scream, the knowledge that God has already provided all we need." It is this thought that carves a space of stillness and calmness.

Rest Stop

Look on the bright side, perhaps a gift, we don't normally acknowledge is that sometimes "God does not give us time to think deeply about life-changing decisions. Sometimes He only allows us to respond at the visceral level, where truth and faith abide." Over thinking, perhaps about eventualities and possibilities is "time lost to the pursuit of greater things."

THE ANTIDOTE TO WEARINESS

As weariness whittles away strength, deepen your trust and faith in God. Capture thoughts of God's goodness, faithfulness, and provision.

"I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He regarded me faithful, putting me into service,"~1 Timothy 1:12 God's intent for us is to praise Him.  May God give us peace knowing that we are touching others lives.  David in his praise to God (Ps.145), constantly mulls over the evidence of what God has done.

Yes caregiving is hard and I know you are tired. You are not a failure.  Go ahead cry.
 We are so prone to seek solutions from people everywhere else before consulting with our Heavenly Father.
THE SECRETSThe secret to my neighborhood walks is that I am absolutely alone.

They take me to the center of God's creations surrounding my home.I challenge you to find what refreshes you.  Sometimes our homes are not places to rest and refresh.

"And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."~2 Corinthians 12:9

There are times when our resources are limited.

Limited by finances and limited by what we can do.

On those difficult days, rest in the greater truth, that God's resources are not limited. We often struggle with the compulsion to want to meet every need and protect. My body, my time, my family, my knowledge, and energy are all limited.

Learn to bask in the beauty of the present.

"But I trust in you, O Lord; I say 'You are my God' My times are in your hands." ~Psalm 32:14-15

Dear gracious Father,

Thank You for not applying a standard of fairness in my life but granting mercy and favor when I do not deserve it.

Help me to realize that I do not serve others out of obligation or desire for a reward or goodness but simply to honor them and to honor You.

Give me the wisdom to know when I must relinquish my care that is better for them.

Help me to let go, and free my heart from false guilt.

Help me to live in freedom, Lord, knowing that You have already prepared the way for the next step for them. ~S. Beach

Perhaps joining a support group will provide a space place for refreshment.