I’m convinced that there is a parallel universe in hospital waiting rooms. The fluorescent lights buzz and cast a ghostly pallor on your complexion. Of course, after days of sitting in the waiting area outside of the Intensive Care Unit you really don’t care that much how you look. No doubt the thermostat is set so low in order to keep the many life-saving machines functioning properly. The freezing temperatures  seem to match the frozen grip around your heart as you worry about the well-being of your loved one. When you take a break, it’s usually to grab a candy bar at the vending machine along with a bitter cup of coffee.

Here’s my advice if you are a caregiver who feels stuck in a waiting room: GO OUTSIDE and enjoy some green space! (I added the Garden part because it starts with G – LOL!)

I didn’t do it often enough because I was afraid to leave my husband’s side. I would dart off to the hospital cafeteria for a quick bite and then come back to sit under the fluorescent lights.

Now, back to gardening. I always wanted to start a garden but never got a ’round-to-it.’ If you can, however, start a container garden. Research is showing that time spent outside while gardening can lower blood pressure, anxiety and provide low impact exercise. Suffice it to say that I claim for you the truth of the Isaiah 58:11 which is included in the prayer.

I know that you are in a hard spot that seems dry. It feels like you do not have the strength to carry on. I declare the truth of this verse over you. Trust the Lord to guide you every day. He will provide you with people who will give you a cup of water when you are thirsty. When it seems like you can’t take another step, He will give you the strength that you need. You can provide spiritual nourishment to everyone that you meet in the visits to the doctor and even in the stays at the hospital. There is always hope and God has a good plan for all of you.

The sun provides essential Vitamin D.  Research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, shows that those with the lowest vitamin D levels have more than double the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes over an eight-year period compared with those with the highest vitamin D levels. The researchers cite “decreased outdoor activity” as one reason that people may become deficient in vitamin D. Another recent study found an increased risk of heart attacks in those with low vitamin D levels.

Assignment: Spend at least 10 minutes in the sun without sunscreen. You want to allow the body to absorb life-giving vitamin D. (If you live in an area with limited sunshine during the winter, consider investing in a sun lamp.)

Mindfulness

Be present during that ten minutes (whether walking or sitting). Push aside the worries and thousand thoughts that are swirling in your head. Feel the warmth of the sun. Notice the wild flowers. Listen to the wind blowing through the leaves of the tree. Spot that butterfly and see where it goes. Now that we are in winter, be sure to bundle up before you go out. You can still enjoy the beauty of the snow and sounds of your boots as they crunch the snow.

Assignment: Give yourself permission to enjoy life’s experiences.

During the blessed season of caregiving for my husband, I took a picture of the sunrise every morning. Some mornings, I would sit in the back yard while it was still dark and pray. It seems like the darkness just slowly dissipated as the dawn’s light drew near. It was like a giant dimmer switch that gradually brought the daylight to my attention.

Assignment: Start a gratitude journal or text someone you love with a list of your gratitude points for the day. Include at least three items.

Other days it was cloudy and there was no spectacular sunrise. Still, just when I needed it, a ‘hope ray’ would slice through a dark cloud to remind to encourage myself in the Lord and to continue to do what only I could do. I could honor my wedding vows and continue to love this precious man who needed me more and more each day. God was shedding light on it all even in the midst of the darkest times.

Assignment: Share a positive way to look at your situation today. Looking up on cloudy days does not mean that you paste on a fake smile and act all happy when your heart is breaking. Instead, cling to the love that He has for you in the midst of it all. Remember other dark times and how God brought you through to the other side.

Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for Your consistent guidance through the maze of caregiving. I feel so often that my well is dry and it is such a comfort to know that You will give me water and will restore my strength. Oh, how I need that right now as I am exhausted and feel like I don’t even have time to catch my breath. Thank You for comparing me to a well-watered garden. Even if I never plant a garden I will go outside and enjoy Your garden with it’s greenery, flowers, birds and butterflies. You will restore me as I rest in You and soak in Your beauty. Thank You that as I do that I can be an ever-flowing spring to others in need. As I meet others who need hope let me have extra to share with them. (Isaiah 58:11 Voice)

In Jesus’ name. Amen.