Care Givers Unite

It's the little things we do and say that mean so much as we go our way.

A kindly deed can lift a load from weary shoulders on the road.

We were awakened at 4 in the morning the other night. It was the assisted living home telling us that Gigi, Rob's 87-year-old mother, had fallen and broken her shoulder and injured her knee. Whatever plans we had for the day were set aside to be with Mom.

As I sit here sipping my sweet tea, a few random thoughts cross my mind. Once again I'm reminded that we are born to be care givers. We nurture and care for our children until they reach a certain age, and then just when we sigh, raise our arms and declare, "Now, it's all about me!" -- it's time to focus on the care of our aging parents. Some of you have made the choice not have children, and that's perfectly fine with me. But the fact is, we all have parents ... unless you came into the world in a different way known to man (yes, I'm sure a few of you were hatched).

I believe that God created us to be caregivers, to reach out to someone other than ourselves. The quote, It's all about me was never meant to be. Well, I take that back ... we all need a It's All About Me Day now and then, but really, have you spent more than an hour with someone who only talks about their life? what they're planning? what they're eating, wearing, blah, blah, blah!! And you patiently wait for them to ask you, "Oh, yeah, by the way, how's your life?" Not that I have anything extravagant to share ... it's just kind of nice that they are actually giving me a minute to give a quick reply. Of course the all about me individual doesn't let me finish my sentence because they really don't care. In a flash, it's back to them.

I can only take about thirty minutes with an its all about me person. And they wonder why they don't have many friends. Perhaps if they stopped looking inward so much, and began looking outward, they would find a big wonderful world out there with big wonderful people who could use a helping hand. Maybe their own child, or a mom or a dad, or a cousin, or a daughter-in-law, or a ... well, you fill in your own blank.

As a caregiver to Gigi and to my father who lives in Utah, I find that sometimes when I make an ugly face or an even uglier remark when I have to rearrange my schedule to run to their aid, afterwards I feel so much better that I was used to be part of giving some tender loving care to a person who needs it much more than I.

So next time we find ourselves hogging the conversation, or making our oh-so-important plans, lets stop a second and ask ourselves, "Who can I bless today, besides myself?" Because God reminds me daily that it is NOT all about me.

Enjoy the days of summer and here's wishing you oceans of blessings,

Sharon

Photo taken on Tybee Island, GA

Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 NLT