Adapted from books by Shelly Beach: Ambushed By Grace: Help and Hope in the Caregiving Journey, and It Is Well with My Soul.
PHOTO: And who knows but that you have come . . . for such a time as this? - Esther 4:14
When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman at the well for a drink (John 4:4-26), His goal wasn't to be served by her. Rather, He was orchestrating a meeting that would change the course of her life forever.
Through His words and actions, He showed that He knew her story, that He empathised with her, and that He cared about her heart and her life. As a result, she would walk away from the encounter changed forever - all because Jesus walked into her story with a commitment to rewrite the ending.
Likewise, when Jesus healed the lame, the lepers, and the blind, His goal wasn't simply to restore physical wellness. When He fed the 5,000, His purpose wasn't just to meet a physical need.
All these meetings were more than mere incidents of caregiving - they were moments of convergence. As Jesus met them in their time of need, it gave Him the opportunity to share His compassion, intimacy, and the revelation of who He was and who His Father was. These moments would eventually lead to redemption in their lives, as they caught a glimpse of God's love and mercy, realised their own sinfulness, and understood their need for His salvation. In His role as a caregiver, as in all things, Jesus was a redeemer.
And that may be exactly what is happening in your life today. In your caregiving journey, God may be using you to reach out and redeem others through the convergence of your life with theirs. Redemption begins when lives converge, as they did when Jesus reached out to the woman at the well.
As we interact with the people we care for, we will start to see that we are all the same - broken and inadequate, in need of forgiveness and grace. When we care for others, we enter their lives and help to make God's story of redemption real to them. And, in the process, our own hears will be touched as well.
As caregivers, we often view our roles as doers, performing acts of service for those we minister to. But that is only an entry point for our journey. As we provide care for others, our lives will converge, allowing us to share intimacy, empathy, and compassion. True caregiving is perhaps the most redemptive work we will ever do.
When lives converge, God's work begins.
Picture posted by Shutterstock
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https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/11/reflection-redemptive-relationships_26.html
And who knows but that you have come . . . for such a time as this? - Esther 4:14
PHOTO: And who knows but that you have come . . . for such a time as this? - Esther 4:14
Picture posted by Donna D'errico (pinterest)
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https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2016/09/reflection-esther-teens-of-bible.html
When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman at the well for a drink (John 4:4-26), His goal wasn't to be served by her. Rather, He was orchestrating a meeting that would change the course of her life forever.
Through His words and actions, He showed that He knew her story, that He empathised with her, and that He cared about her heart and her life. As a result, she would walk away from the encounter changed forever - all because Jesus walked into her story with a commitment to rewrite the ending.
PHOTO: When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman at the well for a drink (John 4:4-26), His goal wasn't to be served by her. Rather, He was orchestrating a meeting that would change the course of her life forever.
Through His words and actions, He showed that He knew her story, that He empathised with her, and that He cared about her heart and her life. As a result, she would walk away from the encounter changed forever - all because Jesus walked into her story with a commitment to rewrite the ending.
Picture posted by Želám Ti pokoj duše a lásku v srdci on 20 March 2018
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https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/11/reflection-redemptive-relationships_26.html
Likewise, when Jesus healed the lame, the lepers, and the blind, His goal wasn't simply to restore physical wellness. When He fed the 5,000, His purpose wasn't just to meet a physical need.
All these meetings were more than mere incidents of caregiving - they were moments of convergence. As Jesus met them in their time of need, it gave Him the opportunity to share His compassion, intimacy, and the revelation of who He was and who His Father was. These moments would eventually lead to redemption in their lives, as they caught a glimpse of God's love and mercy, realised their own sinfulness, and understood their need for His salvation. In His role as a caregiver, as in all things, Jesus was a redeemer.
All these meetings were more than mere incidents of caregiving - they were moments of convergence. As Jesus met them in their time of need, it gave Him the opportunity to share His compassion, intimacy, and the revelation of who He was and who His Father was. These moments would eventually lead to redemption in their lives, as they caught a glimpse of God's love and mercy, realised their own sinfulness, and understood their need for His salvation. In His role as a caregiver, as in all things, Jesus was a redeemer.
Picture posted by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
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https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-no3-2018-sep-oct/is-suffering-punishment-from-god/
And that may be exactly what is happening in your life today. In your caregiving journey, God may be using you to reach out and redeem others through the convergence of your life with theirs. Redemption begins when lives converge, as they did when Jesus reached out to the woman at the well.
As we interact with the people we care for, we will start to see that we are all the same - broken and inadequate, in need of forgiveness and grace. When we care for others, we enter their lives and help to make God's story of redemption real to them. And, in the process, our own hears will be touched as well.
Picture posted by Getty Images
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As caregivers, we often view our roles as doers, performing acts of service for those we minister to. But that is only an entry point for our journey. As we provide care for others, our lives will converge, allowing us to share intimacy, empathy, and compassion. True caregiving is perhaps the most redemptive work we will ever do.
Picture posted by SeaCare In-Home Care Services
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When lives converge, God's work begins.
Picture posted by Dr. Howard LeWine / Harvard Health Letters on 25 January 2014
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Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Picture posted by quotesgram - nurse with lamp
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Source (book): "He Walks with Me - Devotions for Your Caregiving Journey with God", PART III "JOURNEYING WITH OTHERS", Chapter 21 "When lives converge", Page 64.
Adapted from books by Shelly Beach: Ambushed By Grace: Help and Hope in the Caregiving Journey, and It Is Well with My Soul.
Other Books (Links)
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html
"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 41 - 64 (Links), posted on Wednesday, 16 March 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/03/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-41.html
New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
John 4:4-26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4%3A4-26&version=NIV
Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV
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