
A Gentle Answer
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.—Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.—PSALM 43:5 MSG
One evening a man found himself staggering alone under a burden heavy enough to crush a half-dozen strong men. Out of sheer exhaustion he put down his entire load and took a good look at it. He found that it was all borrowed: Part of it belonged to the following day; part of it belonged to the following week. Yet it was crushing him now.
Sound familiar? We as caregivers often find ourselves carrying a load of responsibility, worry, and grief. Ignored, the burden soon grows too heavy to bear, robbing us of the joy in serving our loved ones.
Take a good look at your burden. Is it borrowed from tomorrow, next week, or even further down the road? Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV).
Fix your eyes on God, the great burden-bearer. Roll all the care, the worry, the responsibility, and the grief on Him. Allow Him to manage every detail of caregiving. He wants to put praise in your heart and a smile on your face.
Father, give me the wisdom not to borrow trouble from the future. When I trust You to help me bear only today’s problems, the load lifts and the praise begins.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.—Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.—John 15:12 (NIV)

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.—1 Timothy 5:3 (NIV)
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