Rest Ministries provides such wonderful devotions.  I want to share this one with you for your inspiration and encouragement.  I also suggest you read the comments at the end of her blog on her blog site.

Being overwhelmed isn’t bad. Lynn explains how it depends on what you are overwhelmed with.“No one is like You, Lord; You are great, and Your name is mighty in power” (Jeremiah 10:6).

I am feeling overwhelmed by my physical fatigue . . . pain. . . fears. . . dreams deferred . . . pain in the lives of those I love. . . uncertainly about my future. . . carrying burdens in isolation.

False guilt emerges about feeling overwhelmed when the Lord has exhorted me to trust Him. He has overcome. He knows his plans for me are good.

I love and trust Him above anyone and anything else. Yet, I get overwhelmed by the feelings whirling in my circumstances.

Why is He not overwhelmed by the heaviness I carry? The burdens are real. I don’t want to “spiritualize” them away. My focusing inward and dwelling on what cannot be answered in the “now” takes my focus off the One who is dwelling with me in all of these feelings.

It is not that He wants me to negate them. He wants me to be overwhelmed by Him so that the burdens are not foremost. He is.

Although He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, I am not! I fluctuate in how I feel from moment to moment in the same day.

He beckons me to enter His rest where His peace is found. There, unlike the slippery slopes I create for myself, we are on even ground, yoked together, side by side, carrying the loads. I can then keep in step with Him allowing Him to set the pace, sharing with Him in the “now.”

He wants me to unload my feelings honestly. With Him I can, for He alone knows just what to do with them. Remaining close, I can hear His counsel and watch Him dismantle my confusion.

Prayer: Lord, You are surrounding me and within me. That is the overwhelming You want me to feel. Help me to let all else fall aside to be replaced by Your care. Amen.

About the Author:
Lynn Severance is a retired elementary classroom teacher. Since 1983, she has lived with vestibular dysfunction: constant dizziness, sessions of vertigo and related side effects of nausea, balance problems, neck and back pain, visual tracking and eye fatigue. She is a breast cancer survivor having gone through surgery and chemotherapy treatments in 1987-88. She lives in Lynnwood, Washington. Do visit her blog at http://lynn-severance.blogspot.com
or visit restministries.com

Outreach to Caregivers is a much needed ministry as the number and intensity of caregiving grows.  What churches have to offer is a spiritual framework to give caregiving a Christian and Biblical perspective.  This perspective brings hope, resilience, strength, and understanding to the challenges caregiving presents.  I use the term ‘outreach’ because as caregiving intensifies the tendency of the caregiver is to withdraw and become isolated and that can be disastrous for both the caregiver and the loved one.  I have witnessed the caregiver dying before the loved one because they were worn out.

Our caregiver support groups focus on both the spiritual journey God of caregiving and the practical helps that  address particular situations.  Sometimes preconceived views are changed because of the experience of another caregiver.  In all cases we have found that scripture is loaded verses that address the feelings caregivers experience, whether fears, guilt, hurts, loneliness, concern about relationships, etc.  

We have developed a ritual order for our meetings called the Caregiver Session for our opening and closing.  We also use the song ‘Rest’ at our beginning because the words are wonderful to help us settle down into a sabbath moment together.  We can then share with each other.  Sometimes the sharing is all we do, especially if someone new comes to our group.  We make sure new people can let the ‘air out’ about their stress and help us to know about their caregiving.  Other times we focus on a spiritual truths like the spiritual topics listed on the home page of christiancaregiversupport.com.  These are free for anyone to use.  Other times we focus on practical concerns raised by members of our group.  The page ‘topics and tips’ list many articles addressing practical needs or the experience of others.  All are free, but we do have a creative commons copyright which will keep them free to use while allowing other to contribute to the site.

There is much more on our web site that I hope you will explore.

I pray these supports will encourage our churches to begin a Christian Caregiver Support Ministry.  Let me know how you use these resources.  Thanks!

Blessings on you and your ministry.

Dr. Tom Frommer