When you’re in the middle of trials and pain it can be easy to fall prey to Satan’s lie that God doesn’t see you. Or if God sees you, He doesn’t care about you. This is Satan’s go-to lie because nothing can separate us from a loved one like feeling uncared for can. Satan’s only goal is to separate us from God, once he has accomplished that, he has plenty of room to run in our minds.
As a caregiver, burnout happens and compassion fatigue is real. Giving and giving and giving with not much in return leads to frustration and exhaustion. So we are prone to doubt if God even sees, and if so if He even cares.
Let me encourage you. Right here, right now. God sees you! You are not beyond His help, or His listening ear. He never changes, He never grows tired of your prayers or questions or groanings. In fact, He delights to hear from His children. These verses in Psalm 66 describe God’s ability to listen to us: “Come & listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”
According to the RAND Military Caregivers Study, there are 5.5 million spouses, parents and friends caring for U.S. veterans (https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR499.html). This was a study done on military caregivers and does not include first-responders – so for those caring for service-related trauma sufferers the number is even higher. Statistically military caregivers are younger than in generations before. This means that they not only are in their working years, but they are also in their child-rearing years. Many of today’s caregivers carry a substantial burden. The natural progression is that there are record numbers of caregivers needing assistance & advice.
He sees you when you’re tired. He sees you when you’re ready to give up on your marriage and call the lawyer. He sees your frustration. He sees your confusion and pain. He sees when you’re trying to help and you’re met with anger. He sees you when you take care of that “one more thing” and make that “one more call.” He sees you in your quest for answers and help. He sees you when you remember when things didn’t used to be this way. He sees you when you rail against your unmet expectations. He sees you when you grieve the life you thought you would have. He sees you when you grieve the spouse you thought you would have.
These are hard things, but there is Good News! Jesus knows all about hard things because He is the ultimate caregiver. Don’t give up. Don’t give in to despair. Hold your head up high even in the struggle. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This means that you can admit your pain to God and He cares. Your circumstances are not beyond His loving heart.
A quick word about me, my husband is not a veteran or a first responder. I can’t fully understand exactly how you feel, but I am alive & breathing which means that I have experienced trauma and loss too. At times in my life, I’ve had to step into a caregiver role when I wasn’t planning on it. The fact is, is that living in this world, we will have trouble. Jesus talked to his disciples about this when He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33).
God has called you to a tremendous responsibility in your role and He offers tremendous grace to you in your unique challenges. So take heart my friend, the Lord is with you!
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This is where REBOOT Alliance steps in – an organization that encourages spiritual healing in Jesus Christ. If minds & bodies can be wounded by trauma, then so can the soul. Healing soul wounds is essential to total healing. Physical wounds can’t always be healed, but spiritual wounds can be. God says in Isaiah 43 verse 19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” God is capable of giving the dry things new life! Please visit us at https://rebootalliance.com/
This inspirational message from Debra DesCarpentrie was shared live on “The Renewal Hour” on 10/20/2018.
