Tag: trust

Life’s Surprises

Donna Hutcherson

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” -Isaiah 41:10 NIV

I LOVE lilacs! From the time I was a child in upstate New York, they have been a favorite flower…and a favorite scent. However, living in Florida since the age of ten, opportunities to enjoy them have been rare. One of my favorite surprises in the year after Dale passed was “happening upon” flowering lilac bushes in two completely different places, both far from home – Helsinki, Finland, and the mountains of Colorado. I was momentarily speechless, awestruck in both situations and felt SO lovingly cared for by my Heavenly Father who knows me completely to the depths of my being. Blessed!

Conversely, I’ve also experienced traumatic surprises that rocked my world, the most life-altering being Dale’s sudden massive stroke. Other unforeseen occasions involved me in the devastating situations of loved ones. Did God lovingly care for me then? Was I blessed? Hard questions…and I have to admit that in the moment my immediate reactions didn’t include feelings of being blessed and loved. Critical needs required quick action and set in motion urgent care and immediate decisions. The instant and automatic prayer I cried out was “Jesus!” and “Help!” Thankfully always near, He heard and He helped.

Eventually in the aftermath of crises, realization of those answered prayers surfaced in my mind. Jesus was right there in the midst with me; MY SITUATION WAS NO SURPRISE TO HIM. Help came in time for each next step. When I did find moments to reflect, to quiet myself and to draw near to God alone, the answers to those awful questions were YES.

Yes, God was lovingly caring for me then.

And, yes, I was blessed. I was still in the palm of His hand, His presence was nearer than my breath, and His Holy Spirit was guiding, leading and comforting me through every thought and decision.

The Word tells us in John 10: 1-5 that His sheep hear His voice and don’t listen to the voice of a stranger. I am grateful to have practiced listening to God’s voice for many years, decades in fact. Countless distracting voices clamor for our attention at every turn and we must practice recognizing the familiar voice of God in that same way we learn to recognize the voice of a loved one over the phone. I always need to hear His voice, but never more than when I am shaken to the core of my being with my face pressed against a wall of the unknown. Never more than in life’s surprises am I grateful for my Saviour, my Deliverer, the Lover of my Soul – Jesus, Yeshua, Messiah, Lord of all.

Father, without You we can do nothing, not even breathe. Thank you for upholding us in times of great trial. You comfort, lead, guide, refresh in the midst of traumatic surprises and bless us through your pleasant surprises, showing the depth of your love for us. I praise You for Your plans and for Your keeping power. (John 15:5 NKJV)

SONG LINK:
Ryan Stevenson “The Eye of the Storm”
https://youtu.be/-sx8wTnnfSc

Sweet Sleep

Donna Hutcherson

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet” -Proverbs 3:24 NIV

Ah-h-h, sleep. To “sleep like a baby.” Take a good look at the picture above, taken during the flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 – the rescuer and woman focused on the water risen above car’s headlights. But the baby…at complete rest! This is the rest we seek, what our bodies need, to put all things aside and give way to sleep. But how can we do that in the midst of life’s storms? As a caregiver?

Vital for good health, our bodies were created with the need for sleep. It’s SO much more than physical rest. Sleep is essential for brain health, healing and tissue repair, immune system health, cardiovascular health and blood pressure, as well as hormonal function, appetite and breathing. In addition the time that we sleep provides emotional down time, freedom from stress and a rest for our senses, all of utmost importance to caregivers.

Much research has gone into the study of sleep with hundreds of articles written on the body’s need for sleep and how to prepare yourself to sleep well. Yet insomnia is a common complaint and concern for many. From my personal struggles as a caregiver, I learned that I needed to consider TRUST.

The Gospels tell us Jesus loved the little children, saying that the “kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14), even telling His disciples that “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Strong words…requiring CHANGE. I came face to face with this premise as I cared for Dale’s needs…mainly during times of great trauma for us both. The greater the need, the greater my inability to handle it myself. And I was faced with GREAT need, “in over my head” as the saying goes. In those dark times, the example of a little child pointed me to the next step…requiring CHANGE. For me to become like a little child, as pictured above, I had to completely put my TRUST in something/Someone greater than me, who loved me enough to take care of me. Just imagine if that little child was fighting the mother, maybe climbing on the man or throwing themselves around – only adding to the rescue problem. My challenge became to “take my hands off” and practice taking each unsolvable problem, each heartbreaking concern, each unanswered question to God, mentally and verbally turning it over to His care, even envisioning the transfer into His capable hands.

When little children bring a parent something to fix, they leave the item/problem with the parent…and go back to their playing. They don’t tell the parent how to accomplish each step…because they don’t know how! If I am to be “as a little child”, I HAVE TO CHANGE MY PRACTICES, take my hands off the problems, and wait for direction. When the next step is evident, I can move on it; when that next step is to sleep, I can yield my mind and body to rest because I’ve already yielded to God the things for which I need answers.

It’s a simple concept, yet not often developed quickly. Our habits are strong and we have to consistently practice thinking like a little child in order to put ourselves in that place. Even if we’re awakened in the middle of the night, the practice is the same, sometimes needing to talk out loud as we give Him the concerns at hand. He IS the faithful One, waiting for us to cast our cares upon Him and promising peace in the midst of trials.

I am thankful for the practices developed in me during those years, carrying me past fear, through grief and on into life adjustments. My rest was always sufficient, even if it came at odd times. Sweet sleep is His promise; He is our Refreshing. (Psalm 19:7+)

Father, help us to come to you as little children, trusting you to take care of all that concerns us in the right timing, and to yield our mind and body to Your rest, that we may rise up refreshed to do the next right thing. (John 14:26-7 NIV)

SONG LINK:
Twila Paris “Do I Trust You?”
https://youtu.be/OE91UU464NU

I need ANSWERS

Donna Hutcherson

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” -Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV

The only way in which we humans can fully function in a healthy manner under the extreme stress that a caregiver faces daily is by God’s guidance. And He graciously, lovingly shows us the way step by step. Our part is to slow down enough to listen for the answers, His answers.

It’s a matter of trust. I trust God – the Creator, Designer of our bodies and ALL-knowing God. We can trust in other people, in diagnoses, in theories, in any THING in the world, yet when those fail…then there is God. It certainly makes sense to go to Him first, but this will only become our habit as we practice doing so. Jesus/Yeshua IS the Answer – He not only has the answer, HE is the answer. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Yes, each answer we need will be there at the right time. It’s often not as fast as we’d like, especially in this culture of instant contact and getting whatever we want whenever we want it. And, God’s answers are often not what we want to hear or what we would think, however, He is God; we are not. When you’re looking for your next answer, listen, trust and obey, even in the simple things. Your answer will be there at the right time just as we need, one step at a time.

Excerpt from my Caring Bridge journal 10-04-14 “Only God knows the outcome and His presence, leading and wisdom have been evident to me. I am blessed that (when Dale had the massive stroke) he wasn’t driving, wasn’t alone, that our new insurance was in place, and that his complete medical history was updated that morning and was with us. I trust Him to lead my steps and will follow one step at a time.”

Lord, You who taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread”, I thank you in advance for Your answer to my need/s this day. (Matthew 9-13)

SONG LINK:
Evie “Give Them All to Jesus”
https://youtu.be/6k5DKcmKAwI