The Prayer of My Heart

As I continue caring for my dad and trusting God for healing, the prayer of my heart is this:

“Lord, I thank you from the depths of my heart for bringing my dad to the point of recovery he’s at today.  I pray that your healing power would continue its mighty work in his body.  (Isaiah 53)

I also ask that you grant me the strength, grace, compassion and energy that I so desperately need as his caregiver.  Please continue healing my family of our colds and bless us to be a blessing.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

 

It’s a dreary, rainy day here this morning, and, so it seems to reflect the condition of my spirit at the moment.  I think the weight of the past week has really drained me in ways I am unaware of and unable to articulate.  I am trying to stay strong, but my body is tired and my soul is heavy.  Perhaps I will go for a drive later just to get out of the house and clear my head.

The gentleman from my dad’s church came around 4:45p.m. yesterday to deliver the groceries my dad requested and didn’t leave until after 9:00p.m.!  My dad delivered many, lengthy monologues during this time and enjoyed visiting with his comrade.  However, this was a huge strain on the rest of our family as we felt like we had to entertain as well.  My husband has copious amounts of paperwork to do in the evenings and this interruption was a major inconvenience.  I learned a valuable lesson…yet again!  Boundaries must be set.  From now on, I will make it very clear that all visits are 30 minutes or less.  Our family is already under incredible strain from constantly caring for my father, we don’t need any further disruption.  We kept thinking that at any moment, our visitor would announce his departure, but that never came.  In addition to being an inconvenience, we are all still recovering from this cold/virus.  My husband and daughter began with a fever and then turned into a cold.  We’re on the mend, but still not tip top.

It is one thing to be an encourager to those who are sick, but it is equally righteous to be mindful of others’ time and family needs.   We were drained when that door closed.

I’m very thankful that my older sister is coming into town late tonight for the weekend.  I could use the moral support and the reinforcements!  My father can be quite demanding and it’s wearing on all of us.  I am thankful that I can be at home getting things done around here vs. running back and forth to the hospital daily.  Unfortunately, our other two siblings live farther away.  Our younger sister will be visiting in a month and our brother sometime this summer.  He has some health issues himself to tend to.

Both the nurse and the physical therapist will be coming out every Monday and Wednesday.  I’m really glad they can work around my schedule because I have to play “taxi driver” and take my daughter to and from work the other days.  I need to clone myself.  I have been a mother for nearly 26 years, but I don’t know when I’ve been busier!  I suppose when my two younger children were small.  The challenging aspect of my current caregiving situation is that I’m not as young as I was back when my two were babies! 😉

I am relying on the promise that “His grace is sufficient for me.  In my weakness, He is strong.”

He knows how much we can bear – physically, mentally and in all regards.  I think I need to go back and read my blog post entitled, “He Knows My Address”!  🙂  Haha!  Yes, we need to encourage ourselves in our faith sometimes.  I don’t mean to complain because I make every attempt to focus on the positive in life.  This soldier is just a little weary, but I will revive!  And, now to crank up some Christian music and rejoice in the Lord despite the challenges, and, most of all, for His goodness!  “This too shall pass.”

Have a blessed day, my friend!

“Rejoice in the Lord.  And, again, I say rejoice!”  – Philippians 4:4

“Why so downcast, oh my soul?  Hope thou in God! I will yet praise Him!” – Psalm 42:5