“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.” Luke 10: 33-35 (KJV)
When I arrived in California to help care for my mother, I envisioned hours spent in writing as I sat near her, ready to meet any need she may have. My sister had reported that Mama did little more than sleep between her feedings (through a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy - or PEG - tube).
Reality is somewhat different than my imaginings. Mama only sleeps intermittently (even at night!). She talks in her sleep, often crying out as though in distress or pain. She requires help ambulating to and from her bedside commode chair. Sometimes we can convince her to walk a little more, into the living room or perhaps into her bathroom for a quick “spit bath” in the sink.
Occasionally, Mama develops pain in her legs or feet. We use lavender oil or a chamomile based cream to massage the ailing part. Sometimes she just craves the human touch of someone holding her hand.
She imagines strange people in the room, requiring me to order them out or check on what they are doing. There are “accidents” requiring her bed to be changed, sometimes numerous times a day. The resultant loads of laundry must be washed, dried, folded and put away.
Another problem is the blockage in her esophagus, the reason the PEG tube was installed. The tube takes care of getting her nutrition, but it cannot help her feeling of needing to burp. So we have any number of antics to try to dislodge reluctant air bubbles. We try walking, getting up and down, patting her on the back and anything else we can think of to try to clear the bubble.
These interruptions can come at any moment. My concentration gets broken; whatever I’m working on gets set aside. Most of the writing I planned to get done is still waiting for me.
I wonder if the Samaritan had plans that day, on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho? Whatever they were, he put them aside to care for the man who had fallen among thieves. In putting his own plans on hold, he kept the appointment God had for him. The compassion he demonstrated has come to mean someone who cares above and beyond expectations – the Good Samaritan. Each time my plans get rearranged, I try to remember the Good Samaritan and open my heart to God’s plans.
Father, thank you for having the Master Plan. Please forgive me those times when I consider my own plans to be the most important things in the world. Help me to look to You for the right “next step” and not my own thoughts.
© 2008 Mary Beth Magee
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Friday, December 19, 2008
Joy in the Face of Discouragement (Number 13 in a series)
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” Psalm 42:5 (KJV)
No job today. No interviews lined up. The want ads are lean pickings. Sometimes it’s hard not to give in to discouragement, but then I remember what I’ve learned about it.
Discouragement is a powerful tool in the hands of the enemy. He uses it to take our eyes off of our hope, our destination. With discouragement, he seeks to undermine our faith. Feeling as though God has deserted you? That’s discouragement at work.
There are other faces to discouragement: fear and anxiety, depression, hopelessness, discontent. Each of these is a guise in which discouragement may come to call.
Right now, I’ve been out of work for more than two months. Am I feeling happy about that? No. Am I discouraged about my prospects? NO. When discouragement tries to rear its head, I claim the promise of II Timothy 1:7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (KJV).”
I count on God’s goodness to get me through the times when Satan uses my diminishing bank account to try to get me down. And I focus on the birds of the air and lilies of the field (Matthew 6) when I send off another job application that gets no reply. While I do what I can about my situation, I rely on God’s planning to provide the final resolution. Although I can’t solve it on my own, with God’s help I can get through.
When discouragement seeks to divert your attention from God’s goodness, remember Satan seeks to drag you down. God will lift you up. Turn your situations over to Him, hang on, and rejoice! He loves you too much to let you go!
© Mary Beth Magee 2008
No job today. No interviews lined up. The want ads are lean pickings. Sometimes it’s hard not to give in to discouragement, but then I remember what I’ve learned about it.
Discouragement is a powerful tool in the hands of the enemy. He uses it to take our eyes off of our hope, our destination. With discouragement, he seeks to undermine our faith. Feeling as though God has deserted you? That’s discouragement at work.
There are other faces to discouragement: fear and anxiety, depression, hopelessness, discontent. Each of these is a guise in which discouragement may come to call.
Right now, I’ve been out of work for more than two months. Am I feeling happy about that? No. Am I discouraged about my prospects? NO. When discouragement tries to rear its head, I claim the promise of II Timothy 1:7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (KJV).”
I count on God’s goodness to get me through the times when Satan uses my diminishing bank account to try to get me down. And I focus on the birds of the air and lilies of the field (Matthew 6) when I send off another job application that gets no reply. While I do what I can about my situation, I rely on God’s planning to provide the final resolution. Although I can’t solve it on my own, with God’s help I can get through.
When discouragement seeks to divert your attention from God’s goodness, remember Satan seeks to drag you down. God will lift you up. Turn your situations over to Him, hang on, and rejoice! He loves you too much to let you go!
© Mary Beth Magee 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Dampened Spirits (Number 2 in a series)
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (NIV)
For my first three days on the road, I was in rain, often coming down hard enough to obscure visibility. I fretted about the damage that might be done to the things I had on top of the car. I worried about missing a directional sign. I griped to God about the danger of driving in such weather and the time I would lose because of it.
Another problem soon became apparent: the nylon straps I had used to secure my “do-it-yourself” roof rack passed through the interior of the car and acted as wicks to bring the rain inside. The water followed the dictates of gravity and sought the lowest point. For one of the straps, that point was right over the front seat! Another crossed through the car in the back. Now I had to worry not only about my belongings on the roof, but also my dog, the things inside the car and myself. The whole world seemed to be perpetually damp. I prayed for the rain to stop.
Watching the news in my motel room on the second night, I heard the broadcaster report on the happiness of area farmers and ranchers over the much-needed rain. I felt instantly ashamed of myself. What I perceived to be a trial, someone else received as a huge blessing.
Isn’t that often the issue with us? The circumstances aren’t the problem so much as our reaction to those circumstances. Perhaps that’s why we have to be reminded to keep an “attitude of gratitude.” We are easily distracted from seeing God’s blessings as we get caught up in the cares of the world.
How often have you complained about something, only to find out later it was a blessing in disguise? In this Thanksgiving month, resolve to heed 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 and give thanks in everything.
© 2008 Mary Beth Magee
For my first three days on the road, I was in rain, often coming down hard enough to obscure visibility. I fretted about the damage that might be done to the things I had on top of the car. I worried about missing a directional sign. I griped to God about the danger of driving in such weather and the time I would lose because of it.
Another problem soon became apparent: the nylon straps I had used to secure my “do-it-yourself” roof rack passed through the interior of the car and acted as wicks to bring the rain inside. The water followed the dictates of gravity and sought the lowest point. For one of the straps, that point was right over the front seat! Another crossed through the car in the back. Now I had to worry not only about my belongings on the roof, but also my dog, the things inside the car and myself. The whole world seemed to be perpetually damp. I prayed for the rain to stop.
Watching the news in my motel room on the second night, I heard the broadcaster report on the happiness of area farmers and ranchers over the much-needed rain. I felt instantly ashamed of myself. What I perceived to be a trial, someone else received as a huge blessing.
Isn’t that often the issue with us? The circumstances aren’t the problem so much as our reaction to those circumstances. Perhaps that’s why we have to be reminded to keep an “attitude of gratitude.” We are easily distracted from seeing God’s blessings as we get caught up in the cares of the world.
How often have you complained about something, only to find out later it was a blessing in disguise? In this Thanksgiving month, resolve to heed 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 and give thanks in everything.
© 2008 Mary Beth Magee
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