embrace

The psalmist praises God for His help, presence and by the end of psalm 46: 8-11 for the future peace He will establish. Now in midst of our worldwide crisis of illness, we can feel our personal worlds are being further shaken and our hope is to believe in God’s love and protection. Reading these timeless psalms, written years ago for every mood we can be in, brings comfort. They express the whole range of human feeling and experiences from dark depression to overwhelming

Who of us, as caretakers, cannot identify with this psalm written by King David when he feels forgotten by God. Though no immediate answer comes David finds peace remembering God’s loyal love in verses 5-6. All his past experiences assure him he will again have cause to thank God for His goodness. May we find inspiration for the days we are overcome with despair, recalling how God has rescued us in the past. Other Psalms proclaim the Lord will not abandon His people. Remindin

In 24 verses, the psalmist, speaks out of mature experience with the Lord. He/she prays for help (vv. 1-4,) but affirms confidence in One he has found faithful from youth on (vv. 5-13.) Although in danger, the psalmist will ‘always have hope’ and will always praise God (vv.14-18.) Despite life’s troubles, he counts on God to restore him (vv. 19-21) and commits himself to a life of praise (vv. 22-24.) Caretakers of any age know firsthand that caregiving requires much stamin

Psalm 138 is a song of thanks – God has answered prayer. Repeatedly, God shows His faithful love. He is great and high, yet He cares for mere men and women. The psalmist has a continuing story to tell of God’s protective care for individuals. The psalms are prayers for every mood we might be in and welcome us where we are at; at the same time helping us to draw closer to the Lord. In the first three verses of Psalm 138, written by King David, he vows to praise God publicl

As troubles circle around us, many times to a greater degree, our recourse is to cry to the Lord, our refuge. In this psalm, written by King David, after he had to flee because King Saul was going to have him killed (1 Samuel 19:11-17,) David cries out as a persecuted innocent. As caretakers, do we identify when our loved one is cranky, inconsiderate and ungrateful for anything we endeavor to do for them, that in a way, we feel we are being persecuted? We understand and know

Called a psalm of distress, it is a cry for help, with earlier verses sounding like there are no reserve or resources left. For instance, in verse 4, “My spirit is faint within me; my heart is dismayed.” Gratefully, we know that God is always our refuge and will lead, teach and deliver us. However, for me being on God’s timetable, is not always a place of contentment, because I have an unfortunate tendency of trying to control too much. God is more patient with me, than I am

All the psalms cry out to God with pleas and hope and God answers us, yet not always as we would want. In any relationship, we learn to trust by our past experiences. Reading God’s word to us in the Bible, over and over I have been the recipient of God’s promises. That is not to say, there have been no difficult times, for there have been many and they continue. What does trust mean to me/you? To me, it means that God’s love carries and leads, no matter any circumstances that

I pour out my needs to God and know I will find understanding. Gratefully, the words of this Psalm express my heart and I call on the Lord for strength and to hear my prayers. It is so difficult every where I look. I am ‘supposed’ to be there for my loved one and I am ill myself. I know illness colors all and when I am off my game, it affects everything. I refuse to give credence to the cultural voices that say any kind of chronic illness is a weakness, a failure or aging has

This Psalm, written by King David, shows God’s power unveiled in nature, a thunderstorm towers majestically above the Promised Land, arousing David’s praise. It sparks the realization that it is the Lord who is enthroned in nature (v 3-9.) Surely, so great a God strengthens and blesses His people (v 10-11.) Yes, I believe God is enthroned in nature and all our circumstances are held in His hands. Do I agree with the way God works out each circumstance, certainly not! I remind

How blessed we are, God gives us everything worldly – health, strength, multitude of talents, gifts, time and life. We can proclaim, ‘How good God has been and continues to be!’ No, it isn’t exactly as we would like it to be. Our set of eyes, very different from the Lord, who sees all, are limited. Jesus meets us where we are and not where we would like to be. He desires mercy for ourselves and those we love and care for. Knowing all our needs, He provides strength in proport

​In the twenty-four verses, Psalm 139, tells us God knows everything about us, from forming us in our inmost being, knitting us in our mother’s womb, to knowing even before a word is on our tongue. I hope you can say with me, ‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ ​ In my 8th grade graduation book, a friend wrote, she knew all about me and still loved me. If this is a human effort, how much more is God’s love for us. God knows my past and future and even knows things about m

How I identify with this psalm of longing and trust, written by King David, which says in verse 1, ‘My soul rests in God alone,’ affirming, where else can we go. David found rest in God from the turmoil caused by his enemies and if he can, so can we, while we live through our own uncertainties and anxieties with those we take care of. ​ We are asked to trust God ‘all’ the time (I do my best ‘most’ times) and gratefully, discover God is strong and loving. Taking small steps o

This Scripture brought comfort in my years of active caretaking for my widowed, ailing Mother. It was a long journey, that included four years in two nursing homes and there were many moments where these words strengthened me to press on. God knew what I was going through and that my faith and hope would remain unshakable. How personal, He grasped me by the hand and I could go on, even if it was only a few minutes at a time. ​ I am forever grateful for the gift of faith and

Where can I turn to when it seems so dark and overwhelming? I have found God faithful even in the toughest and most unexpected circumstances. How grateful I am that the Lord is my light and my salvation. No dark can overtake me and I have experienced the enfolding, nurturing, transforming love of God throughout my journey. Because I need ongoing reminders of this, I spend ample time absorbing Scripture and letting the Word permeate my heart. Through this, the situations t

One of my favorite lines from Les Miserables is, “to love another person is to see the face of God.” How might our lives be improved if we would remember that as, we look at one another, we are In our frustration and exhaustion caring for our loved ones, we easily forget this and sadly often lash out because we too are overwhelmed and possibly ill ourselves. Yet God understands and in love reminds us to rely on His might and power to carry us regardless of difficult circums

Caretaking has many facets – spouse to spouse, parent to child, child to parent, sibling to sibling, friend to friend and much more. Caretaking can often be lonely, consuming and harried. People will ask how is (whoever you are caring for,) but neglect to inquire how you are doing. You smile and carry on and accept it isn’t about you, yet a piece of you begins to resent this intrusion in your life and wonders ‘how did I get to this place?’ It is not always by ‘choice’ that