In our southern society, it is inappropriate to complain, speak negatively, or moan-n-groan in general. Ours is a community that prides itself on having-it-all-together and not revealing the deepest feelings with which we live on a daily basis. As we consider this second article (of three) on how caregivers can grow spiritually, we must turn to the first order of business: Learning how to express feelings we would otherwise suppress, and becoming vulnerable with a loving, compassionate God. In other words, letting it all out.
Many people feel that hiding feelings is somehow beneficial. If we “let it out,” then we will loss control of ourselves and unveil our very fragility and brokenness to a cold and cruel world. For some, especially women caregivers, this means that being passive, subdued, or subordinate, is a regular part of life.
Pursuing spiritual growth requires us to ignore these survival instincts. Our conversations with God, not to mention our very relationship with Him, must honestly reflect the tumultuous storms that sometimes rage in the deepest parts of our being. Jesus is our example: Hanging on the cross at Calvary, his own bitter prayer was that of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul encourages his readers to “present your bodies as living sacrifices” and “be transformed in the renewing of your mind.” Becoming vulnerable in honest prayer–allowing the frustrations that result from caregiving to see the light of day–is a spiritual act of surrender that gets us closer to the heart of God, because we let God into our heart. We bend to God’s good and pleasing intention for our life.
There is a story of a woman who entered a psychiatric hospital kicking and screaming. The nurses took away all that she owned except for a coin. She fought anyone who tried to take it away from her. Holding it with a deathgrip, she protected it because it was the only thing that reminded her of her old way of life. But it was her old way of life that kept her from healing.
Though this story seems a bit extreme, it reminds me of our resistance to the Lord. We feel that if we surrender all of who we are to God, we will somehow lose ourselves in God. We fight hard to protect our sense of identity, our sense of control. It is scary to pray honestly because the posture of prayer includes open hands rather than clenched fists.
Caregivers resist God because coming to Him with open hands also leads to guilt. It’s bad enough that caregivers rarely feel like they are doing enough for loved ones; for caregivers to also admit that they have personal struggles, points of resentment, and periods of exhaustion just adds to the burden of care.
By coming to God with open hands and an open heart, however, caregivers can find a new sense of spiritual freedom. Vulnerability is scary, no doubt–how many times have people let us down when we have become vulnerable to them? But God is not human; He does not turn away a contrite spirit. He does not allow open hands to go away empty. There is no condemnation for those who love the Lord.
There are many ways to express feelings to God. One idea is to keep a journal. The best journaling happens when one free-writes without having to worry about audience, grammatical accuracy, or modesty. Another idea is to read a variety of the psalms aloud–there is everything from pain (Ps. 22, Ps. 130) to praise (Ps. 23, Ps. 135).
Whatever we choose, we must realize that letting out frustrations and becoming vulnerable with the Lord is healthy for a vibrant spiritual life. This is especially helpful for caregivers who face a multitude of burdens as they fulfill their call to care for loved ones.
Trinity Baptist Church is hosting the open house of the Center for Caregiver Spirituality on September 30th, 7 PM. Click on the link for more details.
Baptist Spirituality 
Wonderful Joe. Very helpful and gently healing. Thank you!