Running on Fumes!

Are you a care-giver for someone with special needs - your child, spouse, friend or other?  If so, you know exactly what I'm talking about - running on fumes!  There's just not much left to give!  Respite or relief seems too far away to get there on the fumes. You begin the day more weary than you ended yesterday!  The days blur as they run one into another.  The needs remain the same or become greater.  It's just plain hard, and there's no gas in your tank!

The details are unique to your situation.  I don't have a special needs child in my home.  I do have a mother who lives many states away with rapidly advancing Alzheimer's. I am certainly not on the frontlines involved in her care. But, I do a LOT of care-giving!  That's what most of my life is about.  That's especially hard when there are only fumes in the tank. So, I get that part!

As a pastor's wife, I can't hide from people needs. My heart won't let me! Believe me that I have LOTS of stories of care-giving over the years.  Some of them are pretty messy! Some are short; some are VERY long!  Often there is no one else to help shoulder the need for even a little while!  And, always there's that running on fumes thing!

People talk about boundaries - healthy ones!  That's great, but once you or I are signed on for duty especially care-giving, there are few options beyond just doing what needs to be done even when you're running on fumes! Tired is a reality but quitting or just checking out to rest may not be an option for many care-givers.  The needs that require care-giving don't take a vacation!  They just keep coming day in and day out.

I don't have the answer for the running on fumes thing!  And, I have struggled for 5 days with how to end this post!  That's how low I am running on fumes!  THEN this morning it came to me:  even Jesus came to the running on fumes part.  That was when He knew He had to recharge/refill so He would trudge off and up a mountainside to be alone and pray!  He didn't have disposable time to go on a retreat or something.  People needs pressed Him on every side all day every day!  He sacrificed more and went without sleep to get alone and pray!  But, the end result was that His Father supplied the fumes problem every single time.  He will do the same for me and you!

This is the day...... !

OK, friends, full disclosure here:

Earlier today I posted on Facebook a picture of the Pittsburgh skyline on a cloudy day with the caption: Cloudy, rainy, cool - "This is the day the Lord has made" in Pittsburgh, PA!

Well, I now have the opportunity and challenge to live in the reality of that truth! I ran an errand this AM and came home to notice black smoke pouring out from under the hood of the car. When John raised the hood flames shot up! :o]  He quickly sprayed the engine with water to put the fire out.  Guess I won't be going anywhere today! 

This is STILL the day the Lord has made in Pittsburgh and wherever you are!

The rest of Psalm 118:24 instructs me: 

²⁴ This is the day the Lord has brought about.
We will be happy and rejoice in it.  (NET)

All Work No Play.........NOT Good!

This is one of those four fingers pointing back at me deals - Just full disclosure!

Saturday night I went to get us a hamburger for supper as it was one of those days when there just weren't enough minutes after dancing as fast as I could and, frankly, I was just plain tired. 

As I wanted for my order, I watched a darling little girl - probably about two or a little older - walking (no, BOUNCING) with her grandmother!  The grandmother was holding her hand and calmly saying with each bounce, "Just walk. I don't want you to get hurt."  The walk was still a bounce!  I knew the translation of that drill: "Please don't bounce. Just walk. It's late, and I'm tired!" or something like that.  Anyhow, the little bounced right out of one croc.  She bent over and tried and tried to get her foot back in to no avail.  A kindly stranger smiled, bent down, and put her shoe on her foot. Then, she bounced on her way!

Earlier in the day I saw this picture posted by Colleen Swindoll-Thompson on her FB page.  The little girl reminded me and challenged me to remember that play is a good thing!  Bouncing is good! We all need to bounce some - probably every day!

Confident Heart

 

The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.  -- Psalm 28:7

Heart Print

We talk about carbon footprint.  And, it's not considered a positive term.  We talk about voice print which is a way to ID a person by analyzing their speech using a spectrogram.  We talk about footprints both literal and figurative.  We ID animals by their footprint spoor. We talk about fingerprints to reference the unique difference between all human individuals for the purpose of ID.

We leave our footprints in the sands of time when we are long gone from this world. It is important where our footprints track the path of our lives.  BUT even more important than a footprint is a heart print. 

Where will my footprints take me today? 
Where will I leave my heart print and what kind of heart print will I leave?  What about you?  Think about that while you're walking through your day!

Sweet Sorrow

Sweet Sorrow.........I like that!  I saw it in a novel I was reading, and it's so true of life. 

• My mother has advancing Alzheimers.  When I go to see her, it's a sweet sorrow.  She still knows me when I'm in front of her but may easily forget I ever came when I am gone.  Sweet sorrow!
• My brother's grandson (6yo) was recently diagnosed with a large brain tumor.  Being there during his surgery and spending lots of family time was just that - sweet sorrow!
• 2 good friends are moving into assisted living.  This is radical life change but to a safer place - sweet sorrow!
• One who seemed a friend betrays and lies and walks away with no remorse - and we have to trust it is sweet sorrow!
• A baby dies before he is ever born - Can that be sweet sorrow?  How? Why?
• A child is born with multiple disabilities - sweet sorrow? How can that be?
• The list is long and could go on and on.  It's makes no sense unless and until.......

What makes it sweet sorrow? 

Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
    I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
    When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
    it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,    The Holy of Israel, your Savior.   --Isaiah 43:2, The Message

Isaiah 43:2 covers the rest of the list - sweet sorrow - because we never walk along when we walk with God!

You Will Never Walk Alone

Along life's road
There will be sunshine and rain
Roses and thorns, laughter and pain
And 'cross the miles
You will face mountains so steep
Deserts so long and valleys so deep
Sometimes the Journey's gentle
Sometimes the cold winds blow
But I want you to remember
I want you to know

[Chorus]
You will never walk alone
As long as you have faith
Jesus will be right beside you all the way
You may feel you're far from home
But home is where He is
And He'll be there down every road
You will never walk alone

The path will wind
And you will find wonders and fears
Labors of love and a few falling tears
Across the years
There will be some twists and turns
Mistakes to make and lessons to learn
Sometimes the journey's gentle
Sometimes the cold winds blow
But I want you to remember where ever you may go

Jesus knows your joy, Jesus knows your need
He will go the distance with you faithfully!    --Point of Grace

 

 

Light from Above

God bless America, land that I love!  Stand beside her, and guide her through the night with a light from above!  From our hearts to God's ear, may it be so!