Ask God to help you speak words of healing. Most of all, ask him to help you to pray for wisdom – before you say anything. The Lord can use you to bring hope, encouragement, and a new perspective to people you meet.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with an encouraging word for caregivers.
My husband Ken Tada is first my spouse, but he is also in many ways my primary caregiver. Now sure, I have friends who help out, and they do an amazing job. Getting me up in the morning, giving me a bed bath, exercising my legs, my arms, strapping on my corset, getting me dressed. But Ken is the one who does all my nighttime routines – including getting up in the middle of the night to reposition me in bed. I can’t lay in one position all night long or I get pressure sores. So, Ken gets up around 3:30 in the morning, takes out my pillows, turns me on my other side, re-tucks the pillows and pulls up my blanket. And oh, I must add, he usually gives me a kiss on the forehead.
And it was that kiss the other night that struck me. I mean, c’mon, you would think that after more than 34 years of marriage, years of getting up every night and turning me in bed, he’d forego the part about the kiss. After all, it’s routine – this is nothing special. Or is it? Well, I think it is very, very special. And so, the other night, as I often will do, I whisper to him, “Ken Tada, you are the best!” Other nights it’s, “What an amazing husband I have.” And often I tell him, “And I kiss you right back!” Because he is my caregiver, it’s important I give him encouragement, it’s important to express gratitude, and to remind him that his efforts are so appreciated. Words, kind words, are packed with so much power!
You know, in Proverbs 12:18, it says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Well friend, when God created the world, He spoke it into being. When Jesus walked the earth, he spoke, and life returned to dead people. When Peter preached his first sermon, he spoke, and thousands were gathered into the kingdom. Powerful things happen when we speak. Our words can accomplish incalculable good; even changing the course of someone’s very life; or in my case with Ken, keeping a tiresome care-giving routine very fresh. We really have little concept just how mighty the right words at the right time can be. But our words can also inflict unspeakable damage – division, it can quench joy; words can deflate hope, or wound someone for years to come.
It’s why God-honoring words of encouragement is so helpful, especially to a caregiver like my husband. In fact, if you know someone who is giving care to a disabled spouse or a child or an elderly parent, I’ve got just the resource to pass on the encouragement. It’s a little booklet called “Help for Caregivers” and I would love to send it to you for free today. Just go to joniradio.org and ask for “Help for Caregivers” and we will get your gift in the mail right away. Share it with a friend who is feeling overwhelmed with the day-to-day routines of caring for a loved one. It’s all there for you at joniradio.org. And finally, look for ways you can exalt Christ through your speech. Find opportunities to encourage and commend your coworkers and commit to seriously considering the power of your speech. Ask God to show you ways you can speak words of healing. Most of all, ask God to help you to think – and pray for wisdom – before you say anything. After all, the Lord can use you to bring hope and encouragement and a new perspective to the people that you meet. God bless you friend, and thanks for listening to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope.
© Joni and Friends