Love Is the Measure

How can we surmount the two major d’s—discouragement and despair—of caregiving?

These emotions often crush us when we’re trying to provide the best care for our loved ones. We’re burdened by what we aren’t doing right and where we went wrong. The continual and conflicting demands stress us to the brink of hopelessness.

When we feel like we have failed or somehow are not living up to all the standards we “should” be maintaining, we
encounter discouragement and despair. And one of our toughest standards is the measure of love, a high ideal we don’t always reach.

When people or circumstances drive us crazy, we don’t feel as if we’re loving enough.

But why do we do that to ourselves? Love drives our desire to help as a caregiver. Love is the stabilizer, the underpinning that holds everything up. Love is the solid foundation on our shaking ground. When we can’t personally reach and maintain love’s high standard, we can remember that God does. He is love, and He’ll fill the gap between our imperfect love and His divine love.

God will always protect, always trust, always hope, and always persevere.