"Blessed is the caregiver"

Matthew 5 says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

I've been watching these devotions for some time now and I read of so much pain and suffering. It is difficult to continue to "fight the good fight" with the pain and illness that those who write deal with everyday. My heart goes out to them. Above is a "sampling" of The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount from our Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot think of a better way to describe my "caregiver", Barb, my wife.

And tonight I think about those who suffer the "everyday" struggle of caring for a loved one who has a chronic illness and especially those who are watching their loved ones die. As my wife and I sat at the dinner table tonight I made a comment (not thinking ahead, naturally), about my future which cut her like a knife. I suggested to her that we should go ahead and arrange a trip we were planning because "when this cancer wakes up"...that was all I was able to get out when she burst into tears. How often do our caregivers think of the future and what it holds for them. How strong they must be to constantly give the care needed without breaking down, in tears, over what the future holds for them. My wife wonders what she will do without me; where she will live; how she will survive; where will the money come from. But she NEVER burdens me with those thoughts from day to day. She just continues to do what Jesus has called her to do and that is to be a caregiver for me.

My precious wife will be blessed by the "kingdom of heaven"; She will be blessed as the Father "comforts" her; It will be a blessing for her as she "inherits the earth"; She will be blessed as she is "satisfied" by God's grace. Blessings will be hers as she receives "mercy" from the Father; and mostly, she will be blessed when "she sees God".

But for now, she is fulfilling her calling of God by caring for me and the cancer that assures us that it will "awaken". I have researched my blog and found that it is read in over 41 States across the United States and on 2 other continents by hundreds of people who all wish me well. Tonight I am calling on all of you (and all of your Internet friends) to send a word of encouragement to my wife, Barbara (and others you know who have been called to this task). Please take a moment out of your busy day to write to her at grammybarb@qwest.net and let her know that we all realize how important she and others are in our lives. After all, who could care for us like they do?

Dave Stallings lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Barbara, Who also suffers a chronic illness, and their dog, Captain Jack…along with their kids and grand kids ! Dave is a semi-retired pastor and loves to blog on his personal web page since being diagnosed with Stage IV incurable non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two years ago..his motto is “It is what it is and God is not surprised”….his blog is www.nowwhataz.blogspot.com, his personal testimony can be read at www.nowwhataz.org and he can be reached by email at dstallings2@qwest.net.