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O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;Isaiah 25:1, 4 ESV
No matter what stage you are in as a caregiver, or even if you aren’t a caregiver and are simply going through a time of distress, these are comforting words. God is a stronghold to you if you are feeling poor or needy in any way. This is His time to shine! These are times when God comes through and provides for us whether our needy is financial, emotional, spiritual, or psychological. Our version of needy may not even look “needy” at all. But know it is. We may even feel a little panicky inside. Most of all, God knows too. We can’t hide it from Him. He wants to help us most of all because He cares for us.
The difficult part for many of us is to stop and remember to ask Him for the help we need. Most of us are just not wired that way.
Just last night, I had people coming over and realized I needed some iced tea. Everything was set up and I was ready to rush out the door to pick up some iced tea that I didn’t have. Just then, a friend texted me to see if I needed anything from the store. “Well, yes, I do. I need Iced tea. Can you grab me some? That would be great.” So I didn’t have to run out. I got to sit down and pause before people came. It was great.”
Do you know how close I came to not accepting her help? I came really, really close. I almost didn’t accept her help. I almost didn’t take the time to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea before everyone came.
It was a very small provision, but it was one thing that lessened my stress and eased my load. My normal tendency is to say, “No, I’m fine.” and soldier on. I’m learning to accept help when offered, as a sweet gift from my heavenly Father. These little gifts come often, He is so good to use people to provide the help I need, no matter what kind of help is needed…physical, spiritual, emotional, mental. Yes, I have to admit I have need. But is that really awful? I don’t think so. It is a great thing to model.
Jot down the ways God has provided for your needs, both large and small. This can be a source of encouragement during hard times.
I know this illustration is trivial compared to many of yours, but think of the provisions you have had recently. Or have you been paying attention? Sometimes, so many things are happening that I can’t remember beyond a week or two. It helps to write down the things God provides for you so when you are going through a dry season, you can look back and remember all the ways He has provided for you in the past. It’s a great way to bolster your faith.
ACTION PLAN: Get a small notebook or set up a page on your computer where you keep track of dates and situations where God met a need you had and the circumstances surrounding it. It will provide encouragement for you on days you are discouraged. You will be glad to go back and read it. You may want to label it GOD SIGHTINGS.