A transformation of self

Whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. —Exodus 34:34–35

Each time Moses went up Mount Sinai to meet God, he came away a changed man. His face shone so brightly that the Israelites could not even bear to see it, and he had to put on a veil. An encounter with God always leads to transformation.

It is the same with caregiving . If we see it not just as a task, but a divine encounter and journey, it will transform us in ways we could never have expected. We may feel uncertain about what might happen or is already happening, but if we hang in there and keep trusting God, we will see the transformation that He brings in our lives. Through the experience and process of caregiving, God gives us the opportunity to change as we journey with Him and witness what He reveals to us.

This journey may reveal much about ourselves too. What might we see? Will we be throwing tantrums in a clash of wills with those we love? Will we see ourselves as martyrs and bask in self-pity? Will we indulge a sense of entitlement and focus on what we think is “fair”? Or will we become judgmental of those we care for, and those we feel should be doing more to help us? These are all common struggles for caregivers. But God can use them to mature us spiritually as He transforms us into the people He meant us to be. As we learn to rely completely on His strength and surrender our will to His, we will develop new attitudes towards those we care for. We will start to see them as God sees them—people created in His image—and begin to love

them as Jesus loves us, selflessly and sacrificially. If our he arts are open to this transformation, the process of learning to care and give will teach us to see what is precious and valuable in life. It will show us what it means to live out our commitment, and give us the opportunity to love someone better. And above all, it will allow us to see for ourselves that God’s grace is always sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Father, thank You for blessing me as I learn to give of myself on this caregiving journey. Help me to be open to being transformed by Your grace, and teach me to be willing to search my heart, my thoughts, and my motivations. Help me to submit to the work of the Holy Spirit, so that I will be conformed to the image of Your loving, perfect Son. Thank you for Your unfathomable love.