Nearly all of us have been through it. If not, we can be sure it will happen sooner or later. Caring for a loved one or close friend who is terminally ill can sap our strength, often reduce us to tears, and make us wonder where God is in all of this.

Be encouraged! God keeps very copious notes. Every kindness, no matter how small, that we show to our ailing or elderly loved ones or friends is recorded in full detail in a book bearing your name in the great file drawers of heaven.

It may be the 24-hour care that you provide in your home or the daily visit to the hospital to encourage someone you love; it may be the flowers or the hot meal you deliver to brighten the long and painful days of a friend; it may be the children you watch so their chronically ill young mother can have a few hours of tranquility. When you do these things with a loving spirit, exhibiting the love of the Lord Jesus, they are forever sealed by scribes in the complete annals of heaven.

God Loves the Caregivers
by Mariane Holbrook

You wake up every morning and it seems you haven't slept.
You know another day has dawned, a day you must accept.
Your loved one in that sterile room is waiting for you now;
You know that you'll get through the day, but still you're wondering how.

For weeks you've made that anxious trip to try to ease her pain.
You pray each visit that you make will not be made in vain.
You see her suffer, hold her tight, and wipe away her tears.
You tell her Jesus loves her and can calm her mounting fears.

You choose her favorite verses from the Bible that you bring,
Encourage her to join you in the praises that you sing.
You hold her hand, begin to pray and soon you hear God's voice,
"My children, I am here and though it seems you have no choice,
Your pleas aren't falling on deaf ears, for I've known suffering, too;
I suffered on that cross to give eternal life to you.

"So trust in me, I'll never give you more than you can bear;
I see my child who's hurting and my child who's giving care.
I've wrapped my arms around you both, and I will hold you near;
One day it will be over and the pain will disappear."

God has a special love for those who minister and care,
When life seems very hard for you and sometimes seems unfair.
One day will be Awards Day and He'll show the prize you'll claim
And heaven will erupt in cheers, when God calls out your name.

Copyright © by Mariane Holbrook Share