Caregiving is an awesome privilege and responsibility. What else could I have done that would have been more soul-satisfying during the last four years?
To be an in-home, live-in caregiver requires a personal revolution, not just a new address, but a re-orientation of life goals and a realignment of priorities. The upheaval can be a mutual blessing for the giver and the recipient if you know you are walking with the Lord, that He has appointed this season of service for you, and that you are walking in obedience to Him. Obedience ALWAYS brings blessing.
From the world's perspective, I should:
-make a name for myself
-work a professional job
-earn plenty of money
-live comfortably
-build a secure, retirement nestegg
-be involved in civics
-throw a bone to charity by giving to or working with a community organization
And then, I could think about my Dad occasionally and visit him when it was convenient. Uhh...no thanks!
From the church's perspective, I should:
-pastor a church
-preach/teach 3 times per week
-shepherd the flock
-lead a community outreach ministry
-organize believers and engage them, and of course myself, for worldwide missions
This is usually the stuff of the Kingdom, but knowing what the Lord appointed me to do in this season of life, I would have grieved and regretted every day that I did not obey Him and serve my Dad in his years of need. So once again, no thanks!
I have always received plenty of advice on what to do with my life, and my season with Dad was no exception. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't follow some of the things I heard, from people both inside and outside the church. What many have in common is that they (1) don't know the Lord or His ways (2) don't understand the calling or its burden and/or (3) are too heavily invested in the cares of this world. You can be sure that you are called by God to a task, any task, any ministry, any purpose, when you cannot do anything else. If you try to do anything else, you will "burn" up inside. I will eventually write more about the caregiver's guilt; it is a potent weapon of the enemy. But if you face a care-giving situation in the future, I urge you to heed the call of the Lord and do what He would have you to do. His call on your life may not resemble how He led me. He's Lord. He's in charge. He gets to call the shots. How He led me is not "the" blueprint of His plans for you. A caregiver has to fend off plenty of guilt, whether it is real or artificially contrived. Don't unnecessarily add to it. Just obey the Lord to do what he gifted and enabled you to do.
So, to answer the question at the beginning, I can say without a doubt.....It is well. It is well with my soul.
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