Author: Elizabeth Manneh

  • Encouragement for Caregivers: 6 Bible Verses to Give You Strength for Your Care Giving Journey

    Encouragement for Caregivers: 6 Bible Verses to Give You Strength for Your Care Giving Journey

    In the year 2001, my father was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, (a degenerative condition similar to ALS), and my mother became his caregiver until he passed away seven years later. Although she did it lovingly and willingly, caregiving was also emotionally and physically demanding. Recently, I’ve taken on more of a caring role with my mother, and I now understand the difficulties even better.

    When a caregiving situation continues for weeks, months, or even years, it’s challenging.

    I’ve become very aware that I don’t feel strong enough to handle the physical and especially the emotional demands of caregiving. I’d like to say I’ve always stayed positive and full of faith, but in reality, I’ve sometimes found it hard to keep going. I realized that I needed to learn to rely more fully on God to help me cope.

    So, I’ve taken intentional steps to encourage myself and to keep communication lines with God open. Specific verses in my daily Bible reading sometimes jump out at me. Verses that remind me how much God loves me or promises that he will strengthen and protect me whatever the circumstances are hugely encouraging. But in the rush of everyday life, it’s easy to forget, so I’ve been exploring ways to bring them to mind when I’m busy or feeling overwhelmed.

    RELATED: 5 Creative Ways to Pray for Others

    I organize uplifting worship songs into playlists so I can listen to them while I’m cleaning or doing the laundry. I draw or stitch Bible verses onto bookmarks, so I see them when I’m reading. Sometimes, I write out reassuring scripture on small cards or sticky notes and carry them round in my pocket to take out and read throughout the day.

    It’s not about telling myself how I should feel, but more about acknowledging my true feelings to God and looking to him to help me find a way through the difficult times. I hope you find these verses encouraging too.

    1. When things feel overwhelming

    When your loved one gets a serious diagnosis and you don’t know what the future holds, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But sometimes it’s just the myriad of day-to-day tasks that seem overwhelming, so it helps to remember that God is our strength. When I’m in this situation, one of my favorite verses is Psalm 3:3 “For You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.” Listen to this uplifting song based on Psalm 3:3 by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

    2. When you’re afraid

    When you’re faced with the suffering of a loved one, or the possibility of living life without them, the future can seem very dark. We all prefer to know that things will be OK, but God never promised us that life would be easy, only that he would always be with us. I’ve taken great comfort from Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

    3. When you’re worrying about the future

    Perhaps you’ve got a hospital appointment tomorrow, or you’re wondering who will look after your disabled child when you’re gone? You’re not sure how life is going to pan out. At times like this, I try to remember that God has already gone before me and has promised to be with me — no matter what. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us “It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed.”

    4. When you’re feeling lonely

    Caregiving can be lonely. You may be confined to the house with little opportunity to go out or spend time with others. If like my father, your loved one becomes unable to speak or respond to you, it’s easy to feel terribly alone. But God is omnipresent – with us every moment of the day and night (and sometimes nights are the most difficult). We only need to reach out and God’s there. This sentiment is affirmed in Psalm 46:2: “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.”

    5. When you’re experiencing doubt

    There may be moments in the midst of caregiving when we begin to doubt that God loves us and wants the best for us. In troubling situations, it can be easy to focus on the circumstances around us and not on God’s faithfulness to us. But Jesus was kind to those who doubted and didn’t accuse or blame them. When Thomas doubted the truth of his resurrection, Jesus allowed him to touch the wounds and see for himself (John 20:24-29).

    When I’m feeling full of doubt, I remind myself not to rely on my own understanding but to trust in God: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

    6. When you are weary

    Caregiving is physically demanding – you may be nursing someone who’s sick or disabled,  or lifting a child constantly. Just staying on top of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry can feel totally exhausting, in addition to the emotional stress you’re experiencing. Sometimes, it’s not easy to get as much rest as we need, and at times like these, I rely on God to give me strength. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus urges us to come to him when we feel weary. I also love the image of an eagle rising above the storm in Isaiah 40:29-31: “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings.”

    Caregiving can feel all-consuming, and at times, we may feel inadequate for the task. But placing daily reminders in my path reassures me of God’s presence and helps make the task feel less daunting.

    (Originally published November 15th, 2017)

  • Lessons from St. Teresa: How to Be the Eyes, Hands, and Feet of Christ

    Lessons from St. Teresa: How to Be the Eyes, Hands, and Feet of Christ

    Christ has no body but yours,
    No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
    Yours are the eyes with which he looks
    Compassion on this world,
    Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
    Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
    Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
    Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
    Christ has no body now but yours,
    No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
    Yours are the eyes with which he looks
    compassion on this world.
    Christ has no body now on earth but yours. — St. Teresa of Ávila

    When I first read the words of this beautiful prayer by St. Teresa of Ávila, I felt they truly summed up how I wanted to live my life — by sharing God’s love with those around me. My own prayer became focused on finding ways to love the people I meet, even in the routine circumstances of my day.

    He was perhaps 5 years old, standing in my open doorway and waiting for me to notice him. When I greeted the little boy, he whispered in his best English: “My mother asks you give her painkillers. Her tooth is hurting.”

    Because my husband and I run a tourist lodge in Gambia, I spend the winter months in this tiny West African country. Many people live hand-to-mouth, and finding money to go to a health clinic is beyond them. Our neighbors know I keep a basic first aid kit and painkillers on hand, so it’s a rare week when someone doesn’t appear at our door asking for help. It’s one small way I can show love to my community.

    Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself, and he lived out that commandment daily. He brought God’s love to those on the margins of society, stood up against injustice, and showed compassion for those he met.

    RELATED: Who Is St. Teresa of Ávila?

    St. Teresa was born in Spain in 1515. As a young woman, she became a Carmelite nun, but for many years she found it difficult to devote herself as fully to God as she wanted. But eventually, after a series of visions, she felt herself becoming closer and closer to God, founding her own religious order despite much opposition. She focused on living a life of simplicity and experiencing God’s love, motivating her to show that love to those around her. This famous prayer sums up her attitude.

    It’s become a very real inspiration for me here in one of the poorest countries in Africa. Here are a few ways you too can bring this prayer to life:

    Yours are the eyes that look with compassion

    When Jesus looked at people he met, he didn’t judge them by the standards of the day. He looked beyond the outward circumstances of their lives — circumstances that sometimes invited condemnation from the religious leaders and the community — and showed love toward them. Think about his compassionate exchange with the woman caught in adultery or his interactions with Zacchaeus, the tax collector reviled in his community. With these examples in mind, I’m trying to look at others with the same compassion, without judging or condemning, even those who perhaps don’t invite it easily.

    Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world

    Jesus used his hands to work as a skilled carpenter. We, too, have skills we can use to help others, such as helping a friend fix their car, using your gifts to update the church website, or cleaning up a neighbor’s yard after a storm.

    Jesus also blessed people with his hands, like the children who were brought to him despite the disciples’ disapproval. In the past, I’ve cooked a meal for an elderly neighbor, sewed drapes for a friend’s new home, and soothed a fretful baby so a new mom could steal some sleep. These are all practical ways we can use our hands to bless others.

    And Jesus also used his hands to heal. He spread mud on a blind man’s eyes, lifted Jairus’ daughter from her deathbed, and even touched lepers despite the fear and revulsion of most people at the time. We can all hold the hand of a sick friend when praying for their healing, console a teen who’s disappointed after not making the team, or hug a grieving friend.

    RELATED: 9 Ways to Help a Grieving Friend (That Aren’t Bringing a Meal)

    Yours are the feet that walk to do good

    Jesus walked everywhere, crisscrossing the region constantly because walking was the only way to travel unless you were rich. During his journeying, Jesus reached out to others. He talked with the woman at the well and taught those who walked miles and sat for hours just to listen to him speak. He even walked to Bethany, knowing that his friend Lazarus had died, to comfort Martha and Mary and ultimately raise Lazarus to life again.

    Use your feet to do good by doing a walk or run for charity. A few years back, I raised money for Cancer Research UK by taking part in a 5K run. The thought that I was helping others was a great motivation when I was training! By extension, drive a friend to a doctor’s appointment or take a neighbor to the grocery store. You might travel yourself to visit a friend in the hospital or volunteer at a shelter for the homeless. Some might even feel called to travel worldwide, perhaps to serve on a hospital ship or volunteer their medical expertise.

    Learning to live St. Teresa’s prayer means looking for opportunities to bring God’s love to others, including small acts of compassion in our daily lives. Praying St. Teresa’s prayer has made me much more aware of God’s compassion toward people I meet every day — in line at the grocery store, waiting for the bus, or simply someone I pass in the street. I feel closer to God because I’m learning to see others through his eyes. So every day, I’m trying to look for ways to use my hands, feet, and whole body to show God’s love to everyone.

    Originally published May 23, 2018.