Painfully Slow….. All of a Sudden

Hey Hey,

As I’ve been preparing to write this week’s post, I’ve been thinking a lot about pain and endurance. I’ve been thinking about how much of our lives we spend in the painful or hard parts of the story. One thing that I’ve learned over the past few years is that a lot of the time life feels painfully slow – waiting for answered prayers, for circumstances to change, a medication to start working, a treatment to be effective, or some other growth or development to take place. But then, it’s all of a sudden, the change happens, the right medication was found, a treatment worked, a new resource came about, whatever it is all of a sudden, things are trending the right way again.

I think as caregivers we can see this in so many areas of our days. For one of my care recipients, I had been trying for months to get them an appointment with a specialist and we were getting nowhere (insurance headaches…), and on what felt like the 100th phone call, all of a sudden, we got the appointment and the changes that needed to take place happened. Another time, there was a new piece of medical equipment my care recipient was really going to benefit from, and that process took forever. It felt like it was never going to come, then one day, all of a sudden, I got the phone call that it was being delivered. How sweet it can feel in those moments when that all of a sudden is realized, but it can also bring about so much frustration of why this couldn’t have just happened three months ago when I was first trying to get this done….

Today, I just want to remind you that you are not alone. There are so many other caregivers out there who understand the pain and frustration of the painfully slow part of the process. I am so for you and hope you can find some encouragement and peace here as you’re waiting for that all of a sudden breakthrough you’ve been contending for.

As I wrap up my rambling thoughts on the painfully slow and then all of a sudden way of life, I want to leave you with this prayer for those painfully slow parts.

Lord, we thank you that you are God of the 11th hour, that you are sovereign over all things. That you don’t have to wait until morning, that you can move here and now to make that all of a sudden realized. Lord, I pray that your will would have its way here and now. Holy Spirit, fill their homes, fill their hearts with your peace and your protection in the painfully slow. Fill their minds with your truth and your comfort that they would be strengthened and encouraged to make it through this day. That they would have hope for the all of a sudden to happen today or tomorrow. Lord, in this painfully slow time, empower them to have your joy despite the waiting, despite the pain.

We love you Jesus,

Amen.

Sweet caregivers, thank you for all that you do. For the hours spent advocating for and contending for your care recipient to see that all of a sudden realized. For the hours spend advocating for and contending for the all of a sudden in your life and taking care of yourself along the way. I hope that as you click out of this note, that you would feel encouraged and know that you’re not alone. You can get through this crazy season. I am so for you and so many other caregivers are so for you.

The best is yet to come,

<3 Rebecca