The past month has been a whirlwind of emotions as my aunt Deanne, who is in the advanced stages of Multiple Sclerosis, is now under my family’s care.
To be a full-time or even part-time caregiver is special, because you have been chosen to bring comfort and love to a person in what could be their last days. The time you spend with them means everything; one less moment of loneliness in what must feel like endlessly long days.
In truth, there are many overwhelming emotions that will fill your mind as you care for a family member or friend. This is not an easy task and emotions can get the best of you.
My heart has been all over the place, from sadness and tears, to frustration and restlessness.
Then, the guilt hits as each day comes to a close. Why am I complaining or stressed? I need to be strong for her. I should be able to handle her care without falling apart.
I have been caught in this web of emotions for weeks, and not until I turned to God did I see what I too easily forgot.
The Lord reminded me that during a storm of emotional distress, when everything seems hopeless and you feel overwhelmed with uncertainty, He is there.
He reassured me one night as I tried to fall asleep …
I am there with you in the middle of the whirlwind.
This is an important message from the Lord that I must share here with you.
You are not carrying anything alone.
We are all dealt different cards in life, but there is one we always have access to, and that is the stability and strength of the Lord.
You have access to His stability and His strength because He is always with you. He is standing strong on your behalf.
Be Still And Let God Provide Peace
God provides us with the peace of knowing He is there to help us through trying times. We may not feel Him or see what He is doing, but if we believe that He is with us, we can fight our way through what seems like the impossible with peace.
As much as I know this, I made the mistake of holding onto my fears of the unknown, the what-if scenarios passing through my mind. What if I can’t help my aunt and something terrible happens?
Instead, I should have declared God’s peace in my life, my aunt’s life, and my home. I needed to allow God to surround me with His peace so my mind could be more settled, but because I let my emotion lead me, I started doing everything in my own strength.
The one vital step I didn’t take is what I want to help you with, so you can find God’s peace whenever you are under emotional stress.
Be Still. Just Be Still.
God’s peace will overwhelm you when you’re willing to be still in His presence.
All it takes is a few minutes. A simple prayer to start: Hello, Lord. I need you. I don’t feel any peace in my life. I’m not sure how I’m going to do this. Please fill me with your peace.
Wait for the Lord. Let His calm and loving nature fill you.
Weakness Becomes Strength
All along, the Lord was letting me know that He is with me, giving me the strength to handle this. I couldn’t see it because I let my emotions become the end all, be all, in this new situation.
Being under stress is exactly where the enemy wants us to be because we can lose our peace and begin to resort to habits that do not align with God.
For example, you may begin to do everything on your own or, like me, create an expectation that you should be strong enough to deal with it all. Yet God doesn’t expect this of us. He is asking us to depend on Him and not ourselves. He wants to build us up through the difficult times to become emotionally stronger.
When you willingly turn to God, all those emotions are no longer in control. They are definitely there, but God will be the helping hand that will make them manageable.
The first week my aunt arrived, I broke down into tears multiple times a day. I was disappointed in myself for not being able to “keep it together.”
The Lord does not see our weaknesses in a negative light though. Again, He wants to build us up.
The Lord’s patience and love is all we need. We do not have to be perfect or know all the answers. He will guide us through the difficult times, surely He will. His love for us is stronger than any emotional storm.
The moment you feel weak, the Lord is already giving you strength and making a way. The only thing we have to do is seek Him through that moment – and every moment; the good times and the bad.
The more we depend on God, the more manageable everything becomes, even when it shouldn’t be manageable. The next trial, the next challenge, the next bump in the road is not hopeless because the Lord’s strength is there for us.
Stand Firm With The Lord’s Promises
God has built a safe and solid ground for us to walk through life on. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be possible because you’re not doing it alone.
The bible is where God left this solid ground to be discovered and then used as a pathway. Begin to declare God’s promises and in time those promises will be what is leading you through the rough patches.
The emotional storms will continue to come and go, but the Lord’s promises are a foundation that cannot be broken.
This foundation is one that I can share with my aunt and my family. While I do not know what is to come for my aunt and her health, I can bring to light the positive. I can bring in the love of God, instead of my worry.
It is time to step outside of the whirlwind of fear and distress, and stand on God’s foundation.
Remember each verse mentioned in this article and add them to the foundation God is building in your life. Write them down on paper and place them on your fridge or take a screen shot and save them on your phone. Read them everyday and begin to thank God for these promises.
Dear Lord,
Thank you Lord for never leaving me. Thank you for your patience and grace when I am stubbornly doing everything on my own. Thank you for waiting for me. I will declare your promises everyday, even in the middle of a whirlwind.
You are always with me. You have brought me back to a place of peace. You have protected my mind when I couldn’t see past my own fears. I will turn to you always. I give you thanks and praise for the promises you have made and continue to keep.
I pray that each person reading this feels your comfort and peace surrounding them. May any hardships begin to feel less heavy. I pray more and more people turn to you in the days ahead.
In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
What a beautiful promise to know God is with us through all of life’s most challenging moments as well as the most joyous. I pray that I’m better able to see Him through my own challenges and praise Him through them all.
Wonderful blog. Excellent direction for everyone especially at a time like this! 🙏❤️🙏