Where is Your Safe Place in a World Falling Apart?

 

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth,

the gospel of your salvation – having also believed,

you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.

- Ephesians 1:13

When the Thief Comes to Steal

In his book The Holy Spirit, Billy Graham tells the story of an English missionary who died in India during the early 1900’s.  Immediately his former neighbors broke into his home and pillaged it, stealing the man’s possessions.  The English Consul was notified, and the official went to the missionary’s home.

Since there was no knock on the door, the official simply pasted a piece of paper across it and affixed the seal of England on it.  No one dared to break the seal, because at that time, that seal represented the world’s most powerful nation.  The power of England stood behind a piece of paper on the door.

In the same way, when we are saved, the Holy Spirit takes up official residence within us – effectively “sealing” us for Himself by His power and authority.

The Greek word for “seal” means “to confirm” or “to impress,” and it is used three times in the New Testament in connection with believers.  This sealing represents two important concepts:  security and ownership.

An Irrevocable Decree

Sealing in the sense of security is illustrated in the sealing of Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:17), and in the irrevocable seal of the king in spoken of in Esther 3:12 and 8:8. The Greek word is used in Matthew 27:65-66 to describe the Roman seal on Jesus’ tomb and is the same word used in other New Testament scriptures to speak of the seal of the Holy Spirit.  It meant that whatever was under that seal was not to be opened except by order of the king.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered 

This seal also signifies ownership.  In Jeremiah 32:10 we read that the prophet bought a piece of property, paid for it in front of witnesses, and sealed the purchase in accordance with the law and custom, making him the legal owner.

History tells us ancient Ephesus was a port city, carrying on an extensive trade in lumber.  A merchant looking for lumber would walk through the timber, select what he wanted, and stamp it with his own signet, or sign of ownership.  When he was ready for the lumber, he would send an agent with the signet to locate all the timber carrying his seal.  His agent would then claim and take all the lumber with the master’s mark on it back to the man who bought it.

In the East, a seal on a document was more important than the signature.  The signet used to imprint a seal usually sat in a ring and was inscribed with words or symbols. It often reflected an office of importance.  It was commonly pressed into clay, because of its resulting permanence, although wax was used, too.  Wax was not as desirable because it was prone to melt in the hot sun.  Clay hardened over time, so that the clay itself would actually have to break in order to break the seal.

We are the clay.  God is the master, and Jesus has bought us.

The imprint of God has been impressed into our hearts, sealing us by the authority of the Lord on High.  We are now His, under His protection.  The power of all heaven stands behind His mark.  He is sealed in us.  He can’t leave without breaking the clay and His promise to never leave or forsake us.  He is with us every step of the way as we walk through this world.

With this understanding, we can better appreciate the words of the Apostle Paul:

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:38-39

Not forsaken. Never alone. Under His guard.

Living as we are in a world falling apart moment by moment, God's power and love are the vault guarding us. In Him, and in Him alone, we can live in peace, secure in the safest place on Earth.

Do not fear, Beloved.

6 Ways to Ease Caregiver Strain

When the latest issue of Nursing 2013 arrived in my mailbox a decade ago, the title article caught my eye immediately:

Easing the burden on family caregivers

I'd been a full-time caregiver of a high-level quadriplegic son for sixteen years at the time. I loved my job, but I was always eager to learn anything to ease the workload. I grabbed magazine and scanned past the clinical stuff to get to the end. I wanted to see what their ideas were for "easing the burden."

As I guessed, there was no magic bullet, no miraculous new methods for helping family caregivers. There were, however, some things worth noting. Today, twenty-six years into caregiving, I've pulled out some of their ideas and added a few things we've learned over the years to share with those who care for loved ones.

1. Don't be afraid to ask others for help.

Caregiving is a marathon. No one can take on the crush of duties day after day after day without some respite or assistance. It's hard to ask for help, to feel needy. But those around you may wish they could help somehow and just not know what to do. If you're not comfortable with having them take over the actual caregiving duties, you could see if they would be willing assist you in chores once in a while. If you have the financial resources, you can also pay for such chores as yard work and picking up groceries to save valuable time and energy.

Getting help not only relieves the physical burden, it allows both caregiver and patient a chance to interact with others, a vital necessity for both physical and emotional health.

2. Think in terms of team-building,

After Kevin's initial injury and the weeks in the hospital and rehab, we all felt like victims of the system. A lot of good people worked hard to help our son survive. The medical system is an institution, though, and institutions often must sacrifice individual attention to accomplish the most general good. 

In the process, Kevin - and we - often felt marginalized and manhandled. We responded by closing ranks around him and getting home as soon as possible. As he improved, we couldn't wait to get to the safety of home and do things in a way best for us and our son. 

At home, we developed our own schedule and cared for our son by ourselves for many years. After more than a quarter century of caregiving and suffering some health challenges of our own, we knew it was time to get help. Though we still do most of the work, we now have a nurse come in once a week. She, in turn, has been able to find us others to help ease the burden. She is, in fact, the one who has championed the idea of developing a "team." 

Depending on the type of home situation you have, let others make whatever contribution you feel comfortable relegating to them. Homes certified by the state will need to have substitute caregivers meet certain qualifications.

But by all means, let others mow the grass and bring you groceries. 

3. Adapt an assertive coping style early on. 

This is probably the most crucial thing we had to learn. Everybody needs an advocate when they are seriously ill or injured. In the fog of a medical crisis, it's easy to accept whatever the medical providers tell you, because they are the professionals. But they don't know your loved on like you do and won't care nearly as much. Being assertive will actually reduce your sense of vulnerability and helplessness. Just be sure you listen to both your loved one and the professionals and understand the landscape before you charge in.

Those who are naturally more passive are more susceptible to crumbling under the burden of caregiving. They tend to stay isolated, worry more, ask fewer questions, and develop a negative attitude. A healthier coping lifestyle involves actively taking charge of the situation, asking questions and pursuing the answers that will benefit both the caregiver and the patient.

4. Learn all you can.

Understanding what is happening to your family member is crucial to providing the best care with the least amount of emotional strain. Research the disease process or injury, available treatments, and the usual prognosis. It's especially important to know such basic techniques as how to correctly turn a person in bed, infection control, and bed sore prevention. Find out what, if any, community, church, and government resources are available.

5. Be kind to yourself.

Caregivers often put the needs of others ahead of their own. In order to take good care of a loved one, you need to be good to yourself, as well. This is easier said than done, since it's often hard to find time for anything besides work. Try to give yourself permission to care for you. Your family member needs for you to be well.

Hospital emergency departments employ a term called "triage" to decide which patients should be treated first. The idea is to put the most important cases at the front of the line. Do this with your life. Develop your own triage system to care for the most crucial chores in your day. If something can wait until tomorrow and you're exhausted, put it at the end of the line. This works well for emotional issues, too. Don't waste your tears on things that aren't worth your energy.

6. Talk to someone.

Develop an emotional support system. Have at least one or two people who you can call when you need to cry, vent, or just talk. Don't just run to those who will agree with everything you say, though. Develop friendships with those who will listen and speak the truth. It's a two-way street; engaging with others gives our lives new perspective. It may even ignite a fresh appreciation for all we have gained through our own situations.

 Photo Courtesy Erik Thorson 2023