Surrendering Control
A View from the Pit
Surrendering control may be one of the hardest things any of us will ever do. I learned about this many years ago when I attended a women’s Christian retreat in the Rocky Mountains. The theme of the event, “A View from the Pit”, was inspired by the Bible story about Joseph, whose brothers chose to throw him in a deep pit with no hope of escape rather than murder him. You can imagine that Joseph felt confused, scared, and betrayed. His view looking up from the bottom of that pit must have been one of despair and hopelessness.
It was a perfect metaphor for my life at the time. I’d gone through a contentious […]
As a caregiver, learning how to control your attitude toward the challenges of caring for those who cannot care for themselves takes energy, effort and practice. I was reminded of this when I saw a plaque in our former priest’s office that declared, “I refuse to gratify the devil by becoming discouraged.”
Maintaining a positive mental attitude as a caregiver doesn’t just happen. It takes conscious effort and a willingness to filter out the negativity in your life.
This weekend I got a tiny glimpse into what it’s like to be living with chronic pain. Friday morning as I planted my feet and leaned back in an attempt to pull a standard-sized fitted sheet over the corner of our oversized mattress, I felt a sudden, searing pain in my lower back.
Coping with change is something most caregivers have to do almost daily. Your care receiver’s health changes. The things you can still do together change. Your freedom to come and go as you please changes.
don’t completely understand is preparatory grief, which the process that caregivers frequently experience as they have to continually adapt and adjust to the ongoing losses and changes suffered by a loved one who has a long-term, progressive and degenerative disease.