Caregiving and the Character of Christ

David spoke a bit yesterday about how God literally showed His love & grace for my mother Thursday. After being sick to the point of impending death she was moved to a hospice facility. You can imagine how difficult it must be for her at 82 yrs old, finding herself in a revolving door of strange places and caregivers. After she had been unpacked and the CNAs and nurse checked her out, I opened the blinds to find a bird feeder and a large wooded area outside her window. Within those woods and on the feeder were tons of cardinals. My mother loves cardinals. Two adorable little Southern girls were visiting their "Nana" in the next room and ended up coming in to say hello to my mom. One of their mother's brought in her 10 month old son for Mama to see. My mom loves children and babies. You can't tell me that's not God's graceful mercy and love toward her.

My dad is so faithful in being by her side as often as possible to the point of it harming his own health. He won't hear of resting up; he has to be there. His heart is more tender now than I've ever seen. My brothers and sisters-in-law bear the brunt of the responsibility since we're 6 hours away. But on our every other weekend visits I experience the drain it is on being a caregiver to one you love so much.

Crosswalk has an article today that speaks to the caregiver. Much of it is nothing new, but this one aspect is so vital and important I wanted to share:

See caregiving as journey into the character of Christ. Your experiences as a caregiver can change you in profound ways, helping you grow to become more like Christ by developing a strong character. Caregiving will reveal your motives, passions, agendas, and priorities while challenging you to live more like Jesus. As a caregiver, you’ll learn how to depend on Jesus for strength and discover how He will meet each of your needs. Recognize that, while caregiving is difficult, it’s also an incredible opportunity to be transformed into a better person.