My life changed in 2011. Mom had gone in for a minimally invasive heart surgery, and the day before she was due to be released from the hospital, she suffered a cerebral stroke. We had gone from a precarious situation to a catastrophic one.
That began my life as a caregiver.
Those days were especially difficult. I had to embark unwillingly on the unpleasant journey of helping someone regain the use of movement, speech, and basic self-care. Teaching a parent to learn to talk and feed herself is an uncomfortable role reversal. I was now nursemaid, teacher, and cheerleader, in addition to the responsibilities I already had at work.
In order to cope with all of the new stress, I had to lean on my Heavenly Father—and lean *hard*.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”
(Matthew 11:24, 28-29).
That promise carried me through the most challenging of my new responsibilities as a caregiver. I felt God closer to me then than ever before. And although that season was a rough one, it didn’t break me. In fact, I drew closer to God and He to me. We became inseparable.
And fearlessly, I asked my Heavenly Father for things. I wanted my mother to emerge from the infirmity that robbed her of her independence. I wanted a miracle of restoration. I wanted Jesus to put His hands on her, and heal her as I knew He had done for many people in Israel. The Father saw fit to grant my prayer, and the prayers of all the people in our family and church. Although the miracle took many months, Mom recovered a great degree of speech, and movement, and independence. I thanked God with every one of my Mom’s triumphs, happy that my role as a caregiver was finally coming to an end.
But it was only just beginning.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”
(Matthew 11:28-29).
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