Not About Me - Keeping balanced!

Some of the best advice I received in Bible College could be summed up in two short words from  L.E.Maxwell, the founder of the Prairie Bible Institute. 

What were those two words? 
KEEP BALANCED!

This morning before my feet hit the floor and I was soaking up the last bit of comfort of being under warm covers in a soft bed, my thoughts turned to the "Not About Me" challenge from Laura.  Caregivers immediately came to my mind - caregivers of all kinds, those who are not only carrying their own load, but are carrying the burden of meeting others needs, many of them having to do it 24/7. 



Taking care of Grandma Reba

I thought of grown children who care for their aging parents, many of them still having their own children at home that need them.  I've been there -  holding a nursing job while trying to juggle the every day crises that arise with teenagers,  aging relatives needing help with shopping, laundry, housekeeping, transportation, doctor appointments, and general care, as well as trying to be a help-mate to a busy husband involved in a political career and the challenges of owning his own business.

As I lay there, I thought about parents who have special needs children.  As a Home Health nurse, I saw many of these parents s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d thin with all the caregiving requirements.  I saw spouses putting their own needs on the back burner as they were stretched thin emotionally and exhausted physically - "looking out not only for their own needs, but for the needs of others" (Philippians 2:4).

So, when I write this "Not About Me" note, ...what about them?  For some of them it's been "Not About Me" for years, and they are about to fall apart.  They need some time apart to care for their own bodies or they will not be able to provide care for others. 

Did Jesus have anything to say to caregivers?  I think so.  In Matthew 11:28 He urges people to come to Him to find rest.  In Mark 9:2-13 Jesus does this as He takes Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain away from all the demands of ministering, and reveals His true identity to them.

Taking time to spend with God and His Word, making sure I eat right, get plenty of rest, and plenty of exercise - that's taking care of myself so that I can take care of others.  That is actually part of what "NOT ABOUT ME" is all about! 

But like Mr. Maxwell challenged us, sometimes the hardest thing in life is to 

"KEEP BALANCED!"

Linking with Spiritual Sundays and Not About Me November.