Divine Reciprocity: Caregiving Transformation

I find it so incredible how God’s word has for us the answer to any circumstance we experience in life. Even more than the answer God shows up through His word to bring us clearer perspective. In 2017 we did our first caregiver restores as a pilot to see if caregivers desired more spiritual care and counsel as it specifically related to them. How enlightening it was to hear from caregivers and how spiritually they felt so abandoned and misunderstood. I knew this personally from my experience, but I did not know for sure it would be the experience of so many other caregivers. No matter their spiritual tradition or denomination they came and feasted on what God had for them.

As I prepared to preach and teach for the each restore, God’s word began to unfold perspective I had not seen before. I remember at the time I was midway through my graduate theological studies in my first class on preparing sermons and messages. I was so moved by how I could see my own life and experience as a caregiver through “The Good Samaritan” and “The Book of Ruth” and “The Demon-Possessed Boy”. The attendees said they had never seen themselves as caregivers rooted in God’s word that way.

That’s what I wanted to leave you with today. Even if you are not a caregiver (yet) from the family caregiver

perspective, care-giver is more expansive than most realize. Giving care is also qualified by a life dedicated to the care of another. In essence, care-giving truly becomes a calling, and a calling is a place from which the Lord moves through the vessel. When God moves through this divine experience of sacrifice and suffering – the life laid down for another; I’ve learned after eleven years the care-giving experience is divinely set up to change the life of both the giver and the receiver.