“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For the person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

-James 1:2-8

When you are a caregiver and invested in loving your spouse well, knowing the end will come sooner than you want, it is very easy to choose bitterness, anger and sorrow to deal with “life”. How could you possibly “consider it all joy” as scripture tells us when your life, your hopes, and dreams seem to be falling apart?

I know now that I never would have experienced the depth of God’s faithfulness in such a tangible way; felt the prayers of His people lift me up and comfort me and yes, felt the joy, through the pain of grief and loss, had I not gone through this season of caregiving and subsequent death of my husband from Alzheimer’s

Whether it was a note, a hug, a meal, or a smile, God provided so lovingly through his people, what I needed, just when I needed it!

-Claudia G