GINNY VROBLESKY|GUEST

When I was in graduate school, I remember listening in wonder as the professor described plants as photoautotrophs—eaters of light. They take the energy from the sun, combining it with water and minerals to make the oxygen and food that enables the rest of us to live. Through them, light becomes life to us.

This image of trees absorbing light and giving off life came to me recently as I thought of caregiving for my dad. Usually, I dwell on the challenges I face, my inadequacy and fears, not on the privilege of sharing light and life with him. But he depends on me, in the same way young children depend on their parents. We become life sustainers or life givers, and who of us is adequate for this? As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” What do we feed on to sustain us so that we may give to the ones under our care?

Feast on His Faithfulness

Psalm 37:3b says that we are to dwell in the land (where God has placed us) and to feed on His faithfulness. We are to nourish our spirits on His care for us right, even in the midst of the trials of the day. The verse also refers to Isaiah 40:11, a passage where God reminds His people that He cares for them as a shepherd cares for His sheep. Making a list, even if only in our minds, of ways God has cared for us during the day reassures our hearts that He is present with us. The verse also refers to Isaiah 40:11, a passage where God reminds His people that He is caring for them as a shepherd. In our culture, shepherds walk behind the sheep, often pushing them forward with sheepdogs. But in the Middle East, a shepherd walks before the sheep, calling them by name, leading them forward. They follow him because they know his voice and trust him. Jesus uses this picture to describe Himself in John 10. As we think of how He has shepherded us in the past we can have more courage to follow Him into the often-difficult future of caregiving. He understands how the threats and challenges of life shake us. But He assures us that He is with us, goes before us, and calls us to come with Him into that future. David also encourages us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8). He ponders this goodness in Psalm 31 as he remembers that his times are in God’s hands, and that God had wondrously shown His steadfast love (or faithfulness) to David when David was in a besieged city. As caregivers, we often feel we are in a confined, tough place, but that is where God can show us His steadfast love. The reality of His faithfulness is definitely food for our souls.

Feast on His Word

We also nourish ourselves on God’s Word. As Jeremiah 15:16 says: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” As I read Scripture and share a verse that touched my heart with my dad, it encourages him. I did not realize how important this was until he told me how grateful he was for the words of Scripture and prayer. He is not able to read and nourish himself on God’s Word anymore, but he still longs for the succor Scripture provides. The book of Psalms is rich with truths about our being surrounded by God’s lovingkindness. Together Dad and I have begun to look for the ways we see God’s lovingkindness within our days. It strengthens both of our hearts.  ay.

As caregivers we may not always feel nourished of soul or surrounded by God’s care, but that does not change the fact of God’s faithfulness. God’s care for us is based on His choice and does not vary with how we feel any more than the reality of sunlight for trees changes because some days are cloudy.  So how do we nourish ourselves on His faithfulness or His Word in the midst of the busy life of caregiving? Consider finding a verse or collection of verses that are appropriate for this day. Chew on them. Pray them back to God. Seek to have eyes that notice His faithfulness and celebrate it. Focus on these truths and let them overshadow the stresses of caregiving.

In addition, check what you are gnawing on—worry and fear, or God’s faithfulness and light. Worry and fear drain our energy and prevent us from creatively finding solutions to what scares us, or from cherishing this precious time with those we love. But feeding on God’s faithfulness gives us the courage to keep going.

Perhaps we should adopt logosautotrophs—eaters of God’s word—as names for ourselves. Let’s look around at the trees and remind ourselves that if God faithfully provides the sun to sustain them, He will faithfully provide His care for us.

Dear Lord, the one whose heart is faithful, help me to grasp some sense of your faithfulness to me and to the ones I care for today. Remind me that faithfulness is integral to your character and that the dark times of caregiving will not overcome your light, just as clouds do not negate the truth that the sun is still there whether I feel it or not. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Other verses to consider: Lamentations 3:19-24. Jeremiah 31:13b-14. Psalm 119:103, 162. Psalm 55:22.

Photo by Michanne Lisa on Unsplash