Caregivers Devotional

It has occurred to me over the 30 plus years of nursing home ministry how few good resources there are for those in what I have come to call the “Long Term Care Community”. That long term care community includes all of us who are family members, residents, staff or volunteers at a nursing home, assisted living facility or large group home. We share a common culture and set of difficulties and challenges that are unique. One part of that community that has been getting a little more press over the last couple of years are those who are commonly called caregivers. But who is a caregiver? Is it the nurse who oversees the ward? Is it the family member who cares for their mom or dad at home or visits regularly at a nursing home? In a small way almost all of us are caregivers including the resident who encourages and prays for their room mate.

Grace for the Road is a small devotional reader dedicated to the hundreds of nursing home residents for whom I have had the honor of singing, praying for and becoming friends with over the years. Together we; along with our families and the staff who work in long term care facilities form a community. We share a common bond and a unique way of seeing the world. Our great hope is that Jesus understands our weaknesses our cares and even our fears. He was not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters and best of all He bows down to listen to our whispered prayers.  Grace for the Road image

These 31 daily readings are messages of the love that God offers to each and every one of us. If we will simply reach out to touch the hem of His garment He promises to give us grace for the road that we travel with Him. Available today in standard, large print or e-book formats.

Grace for the Road – Paperback

Grace for the Road – Large Print Edition

Jacob’s Ladder

And he dreamed and behold there was a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Genesis 29:12 ESV

While running from his brother Jacob was so tired that he lay down to sleep with his head on a rock. That night God sent Jacob an intriguing dream. In spite of being totally undeserving of mercy God chose to show Himself to Jacob standing at the top of a staircase or ladder to Heaven. I always thought this was a pretty neat story but never got the part about what it had to do with me.

Then one day as I was reading my Bible I realized that in my hands was Jacob’s staircase. It is an amazing book able to reach all the way from Heaven to earth. He is standing at the top to tell us of His loving plan and assuring us of His grace towards us through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Critical Updates

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:5 ESV

Did you receive the warning to download the most recent critical updates to your windows operating system this week? If not be aware that you really do need to get that done. When I saw the alert, I confess that at first I simply hurried on hoping that nothing would go wrong. Impatience and procrastination teamed up to convince me that it couldn’t happen to me.  But in the back of my mind were those pesky memories of long hours struggling to extract malware, viruses and other assorted electronic ne’er do wells.

In the same way we need to pay attention when the Bible tells us to download God’s latest spiritual updates. Those updates come included in the new operating system for our lives called “The Word of God”.  Only our own personal daily Bible reading will safeguard our hearts and prepare us to face today’s battles.

woman sitting beside table while using ipad

Photo by Marek Levak on Pexels.com

So when the malware of our old nature shows up in our minds and it must be overwritten by the update of His ways. The constant spiritual pressures will no more disappear from our Christian lives than spam from our e-mail accounts. But every day we can choose to patiently to download His updates before we continue on our walk with Him!