Care for the Caregiver - part IV

This is the final blog post for my Care for the Caregiver series.

In my coaching as a Christian, one of my favorite parts is when I can pray with or for a client. Most of the time, clients come to me and describe themselves as spiritually "frail." As caregivers, we are used to taking care of the frail. Even when people don't have a community of faith, don't pray, or acknowledge Jesus as Lord of their life, most would say there is a part of life that is "spiritual" and is a part of their being that is lacking.

In my professional career as a caregiver, I consistently saw an interesting thing. We all have a choice in life. We can be better, or we can allow ourselves to get worse. The clients I took care of and who chose to "be better" always understood the need to focus on their spiritual lives. Getting to know God, praying and spending time with Him, were key elements to how they chose to thrive rather than just survive.

And yet, so often, we ignore the spiritual side of our being. We act as though we don't need God. We don't pray, but rather allow fear and anger to take over. And we don't take time to rest and allow God to soothe our hurting souls.

In your journey as a caregiver, how do you take time for your spirit? If it's been awhile or if you really never have addressed this question, I want to encourage you to take one small step. In the next week, take an occasional break to focus on who God is. Or take time to pray. Or attend a worship service that ministers to your soul. See how when God pours into you, you in turn can pour into others!