An Excerpt from Faith Deployed…Again – for Parents of Kids with Special Needs
Last Tuesday’s post featured an interview with Jocelyn Green, the author of Faith Deployed…Again, a devotional book for military wives. Today’s post is an excerpt written by DifferentDream.com guest blogger, Rebekah Benimoff, from the point of view of a military wife caring for kids with special needs. So kick off your shoes, get a cup of cocoa and be prepared to gain a little perspective from her story.
Surrender
Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Psalm 94:17-19
I work hard to balance the care of two boys who have several medical issues with my part-time work for a non-profit organization that helps veterans. But throw in holiday busyness and a husband who was gone for inpatient treatment for PTSD, and I was feeling stretched thin. I finally snapped when Tyler complained about needing to check his blood glucose, and was then flooded with guilt for “losing” it.
The heaviness I felt in my spirit was not just the weight of exhaustion. Part of the burden I carried was fear. With all the extra stress and activity, I was terrified I might forget something in the diabetes care and cause long lasting damage—or worse, a life threatening incident.
The burden seemed so unbearably heavy because I was trying to carry it on my own. But when I knelt down and surrendered each need, each fear, and each struggle in the capable hands of my heavenly Father, the weight lifted.
Military spouses carry many burdens: separations from loved ones, managing the home front while your service member is away, dealing with loneliness, and frequent times of “starting over” again. These are extra issues that can be added to the pile of the “normal” difficulties of life. And it is easy to buy into the lie that we have to do it all on our own. But God never intended us to.
Reread Psalm 94:17-19, above. Verse seventeen refers to God intervening and rescuing the psalmist from death—and this reminds me of the spiritual death we carry within us when we choose to attempt life without Him. Remember that God is all powerful, and all-knowing, and no struggle is too big—or too little—for Him. Just as parents delight in providing for their children and lifting burdens from them, our Father in heaven wants to do the same for those of us who are His precious children. “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).
You do not have to walk alone! Jesus came so that we could walk in relationship with Him. We have the privilege of laying every care in His hands, and we are wise to do so, for lasting peace only follows moment-by-moment surrender.
Ask
What are you trying to carry on your own?
Is there anything in your life you think is too big for God to handle?
Pray
Lord, I now surrender each and every burden I am trying to carry into Your capable hands. I confess that I am NOT alone! Help me to be aware of when I am excluding you from my life. Be my strength, Lord, and teach me to surrender to you every day, every hour, every moment. Thank you for your never ending grace and your deep love for me. I choose to trust You with every detail of my life, and I choose to walk in your plans and purposes for me each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
*The above excerpt from Faith Deployed…Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives was used by permission of Moody Publishers
What Do You Need to Surrender to God?
Thank you, Rebekah. Your devotion brought to mind some burdens I need to surrender to God, of so many things God alone can address – jobs for our kids, how editors will respond to new book proposals, and so much more. How about you? What burdens is God calling you to surrender this week?
Leaving my burdens beside the manger,
Jolene
