Who...Me? A Caregiver?!

You might be a Sister... or perhaps a Friend... a Wife... or a Husband... a Son... or a Daughter...

Maybe you are close... in matters of the heart.  And you may live right next door.  Then again, you may be heart-bound across the miles, holding tight to love no matter the distance.

Over-the-backyard-fence confidantes... or long-distance skype conversationalists...

I know that you have a smile that disarms...and a laugh contagious...a strength courageous...and a gentle hand...

And I know that a loved one in your life faces adversity...the hardest kind.  A hurt that you can't walk away from... The tug at your heart that is the calling... to ease the burden, lift the spirit, shoulder the load and help bridge the gap for the one you love.

You. Are. The. Caregiver.

For most of us, the calling comes almost by accident.  We might be living our lives, working, marrying, having families, vacationing, volunteering, living... when the crisis comes home to challenge our very core.

For me it was November 16, 2010.  That was the day mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 

From a nagging pain in her side... to terminal cancer.  In one horrifying blow.

Dad and I soon began arranging our days like an intricate waltz, timing our schedules to be there for her appointments and tests, encourage her with tempting meals, pick up the endless chores that had always magically (amazing mom) been taken care of, and then, finally, as the chemo and radiation took their harrowing toll, spent countless hours by her bedside, emptying the Pink Bucket, rubbing her back, trying to get her to take a sip or two of soup, coating her parched lips with carmex... and the waiting...so much waiting...and worrying...and feeling so helpless to ease the suffering.

And in between those terribly awful, painful, heartbreaking moments with mom, we were given glimpses of sheer Glory... like snuggling on the couch with her the December after her diagnosis and watching our favorite movie "White Christmas" together and singing "Sisters" crazy outloud, then laughing silly... or watching her watching Katie walk down the "aisle"... such sweet love in that smile... and the many, many times she would grab my hand and pull me in for a hug as I walked by or leaned down to help her... the light in her eyes when those grandbabies came a calling... and the hours spent pouring over old photos with her and dad just listening to them laugh and reminisce over their life together... the legacy they lived out right in front of me... what I would have missed if I had not come alongside as Caregiver. 

Being a Caregiver is simply the most hallowed heartache a person can experience.  It is the beautiful anguish of knowing your gift is so small and yet so cherished...

And if you are in the midst of such sacrificial work, never doubt your value and worth.  To your loved one, you are a precious life line, the very presence to ground them, champion them, and hold them through whatever journey lies ahead.

If you are the Caregiver, know that Grace abounds always to guide your steps. 

Digging in to Grace tomorrow...