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| This beautiful graphic is from my friend Abby over at Little Birdie Blessings. Pay her a visit! |
If you will look closely at the lovely graphic above from Little Birdie Blessings, you will see that the design is superimposed upon the music to a wonderful hymn entitled God Will Take Care of You. This verse from that hymn blessed me this morning:
No matter what may be the test
God will take care of you
Lean weary one upon His breast
God will take care of you.
"Bide just awhile longer, Child, and trust Me to take care of you." And as I wept and prayed, words began to flow, rich comfort I'd like to share with those of you who have remained in difficult life circumstances according to God's will. Sometimes it is God's will for us to leave, but when we stay because He has directed us to do so, we can have confidence that He will not forget us. He sees our suffering and will provide for us.
Blessed are you who have stayed when circumstances seemed intolerable; God has seen, God knows, God will take care of you.
Blessed are you who have kept the door open to those who have broken your heart; God has seen, God knows, God will take care of you.
Blessed are you who have remained steadfast in your relationship with loved ones who have dementia, even when you have become a target for vindictiveness you did not earn and resentment you do not deserve; God has seen, God knows, God will take care of you.
Blessed are you who toil day by day behind closed doors, in ways others will never see or know, for people who cannot give you thanks for your service or praise for your sacrifices; God has seen, God knows, God will take care of you.
The Savior who did not withhold His life and has promised to stay with us always has prepared a special blessing for those who do not withhold their lives from the needs of others; to those who have chosen to stay. He sees. He knows. He will take care of you.
Prayer: Father, here are our broken hearts. Here are our years of service. Here are the tears we can't shed, the words we can't speak, the heartaches we can't share. Thank You for seeing, knowing, and caring for us.
I'm praying for you and your dear mother. What a blessing you have been to her.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, bless you, thank you for your prayers.
DeleteMy auntie passed away this weekend after years of an Alzheimer's existence (about seven). I wanted you to know that her family found your blog to be a great comfort when times got rough. My aunt was one of the odd ones who became sweeter with the years. She was always calm and amiable and, even in Alzheimer's, she was thoughtful and kind. Her nurses will miss her they say. I know that my cousins could not wish her back. Her eldest daughter passed before she did and, even now, her eldest son is fighting his way back from a long illness. He has only just begun to recuperate. "Life is hard and may not get easier" as the song goes. It's why we need The Lord so very much. I am trusting that He has wonderful blessings for your mother and for you, especially with the word He gave you. (I love Abby's art work!)
ReplyDeleteVee, what a blessing for your aunt and those who cared for her that she was able to be thoughtful and kind, even in Alzheimer's. I'm sorry for your loss, but rejoicing with you that she no longer suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Thank you for your encouraging words.
DeleteThank you for these beautiful and inspiring thoughts!
ReplyDeleteYour are so welcome, Sherry. Praising God with you for the comfort He provides.
DeleteOh,Linda! I'm so sorry that the care of your mother has become so hard and difficult. But, I am BLESSED to read how the Lord met you in your time of need and how he is directing your steps. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteI have meant to write (where do the days fly?) and tell you that I finished your delightful book! What a joy! I enjoyed it so much and I gained a greater appreciation for teachers and how they lay their lives down for their students! Thank you so much for sharing your book with me. You are a gifted writer!
Thank you Georgene, I'm so glad you enjoyed The Children Are Tender. I think of you as a caregiver extraordinaire as you work hard to meet your family's needs, and so I loved picturing you spending little oases of time reading--I hope my book provided you a bit of God-ordained respite.
DeleteOh, Linda! That was one of my favorite hymns--my mother (who now has Alzheimer's) used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. This post was very timely for me, as I am struggling with feelings of bitterness and resentment for being in caregiving bondage for over 4 years now (how you managed 12 without losing your sanity is testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit). God is amazing, as the sermon this last week was on the Beatitudes and you put your comforting words in the same format. I do not know how long I can go on, either, but I have asked Him to either end the trial or give me the strength to bear it (in a slight variation from 1 Co. 10:13, since it is a STRONG temptation to just throw in the towel and place Mom in a nursing home).
ReplyDeleteIt is the not knowing that is so difficult. If I knew this would last for 3 more months, or 6 months, or even a longer timeline, it wouldn't seem so confining somehow. This is an exercise in trusting God for the next steps we take, a practice in allowing Him to move in His time and not my own. Thank you so much for commenting, and for affirming the Holy Spirit's work in the post's format. I am praying for you, your mom, and your family right now.
DeleteThis is beautiful Linda. Praying for your mom and your situation. I'm so glad this graphic was a comfort to you. Happy to see it shared on your lovely site. Abby
ReplyDeleteAbby, as always, thank you for your beautiful ministry with graphics, verse, and hymns. Praying for you and your family!
DeleteEven though our situations are different, I can identify. My mother-in-law is no longer very verbal, and even when she was she was pretty easy to get along with, so I tell myself I really don't have much to complain about. But I do still struggle, with feeling tied down because we can't go out without someone here with her, with feeding, wiping bottoms, and changing the position of someone who basically sleeps 20 hours a day. We've been doing it for a couple of years now, and the thought of doing it for for very many more just seems so bleak. But it's an exercise in patience and in trusting the Lord. Recently a verse I have prayed often was strongly on my heart: Colossians 1:11: "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." I need not only the patience and longsuffering, but the joyfulness. Your last paragraph in the "blessed" section especially spoke to me.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I'm sharing a tear with you and saying a prayer for you right now. Thank you so much for commenting.
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