Caring WellSample

Pace Yourself

According to Hebrews 12:1 and 2, New Living Translation, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Racing through life was such a habit for me. I didn’t even realize I was running up and down the stairs until Mom’s home-care assistant brought it to my attention. She said, “You’re going to wear yourself out running up and down those stairs like that.” I paused for a moment and caught my breath. I looked at her and thoughtfully replied, “You’re right.”

The demands of caregiving can be so great—so much to do with so little time—that we feel pressured to race through the day, trying feverishly to get it all done. Thus, many of us approach caregiving like a hundred-meter dash instead of the marathon that it truly is. I found that to be healthy for the long haul of caregiving, I had to learn to pace myself. So will you.

When we approach caregiving (or life in general, for that matter) as a sprint, our goal is to get through the race quickly and get it over with. We want to win quickly. We run through our tasks fast, our minds racing to the following demand and the next. Our breathing gets shallow, and our hearts race; most of the time, we don’t even realize it. We just keep zipping along.

In Scripture, the Christian life is often compared to running a race (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 9:24 and 2 Timothy 4:7). Caregiving is now part of your life of faith. This passage admonishes us to run this race with patient endurance, suggesting our Christian life is a distance race. Running a distance race takes pacing yourself to endure the course. Caregiving requires pacing yourself so that you can travel the path your life is now on.

God knows the race that is set before you—the course that has been designed for you. Sometimes you need to run faster to meet an urgent demand; sometimes, it is best to slow your pace and take your time. Other times, you’ll need to stop and take a break. Ask the Lord to set your pace for all you will face today and each day.

Dear God, I look to you for guidance. Help me to pace myself through this day—not running too swiftly or too slowly. Help me to stay in step with you as you order my steps throughout this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reflection:

Where do you feel it in your body when you start moving in overdrive? Do you feel winded? Do you feel your heart racing? Do you inadvertently hold your breath? Those are physical reminders for you to slow down. What can remind you to pace yourself when you’ve started rushing through caregiving?

*This devotion is taken from Jeanne Porter King’s book Caring Well: 90 Self-Care Devotions for the African American Caregiver.

If you liked this reading plan, make sure to order your copy of the entire Caring Well book from Jeanne Porter King here!