I’m looking for people to join something I call the Mighty Caregivers Circle, part of the Mighty Caregivers ministry at Edge UMC in Groveland, Florida. For 25 years, I’ve tried to help people by pointing them toward organizations and resources that can support them. These organizations do important work, but I’ve discovered that sometimes when people ask for help, what they’re really searching for is a person who understands what they’re going through. This idea isn’t new. There are already ministries, organizations, and individuals doing similar work. I’m not trying to reinvent what already exists. I want to pick up the pieces and connect people I know and trust who have the heart, experience, skills, and willingness to help someone else. That’s what I hope the Mighty Caregivers Circle can become: people connecting with people. Someone who will listen, encourage, share from their own experience, and help another person find their next step. If this speaks to you and you’d like to learn more about being part of the Circle, please DM me. You can also learn more about Mighty Caregivers

Scripture: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21 Tip: When you are unsure what to do next, pay attention to the people, places, conversations, and quiet moments around you. God’s direction does not always come in the way you expect it. Reminder: You do not have to have the entire journey figured out. Sometimes you only need enough direction for the next step. I have a personal struggle that I want to share with you today. Mighty Caregivers has become very important to me. I have a mission in my heart to help people who care for others while reminding them that they need care too. But sometimes I struggle when other people do not seem to see what I see. I struggle to find the right words to explain the mission. I struggle to find the right places and spaces where Mighty Caregivers belongs. There are moments when I simply do not know what the next step should be. When I find myself in those uncertain places and spaces, I have been having conversations with God. My prayer is actually very simple: “God, please direct me in the next step.” I am not asking God to give me the entire plan. I am not asking to see where Mighty Caregivers will be a year from now. I am asking God to help me recognize what I am supposed to do next. As many of you know, I have driven for Uber, and some of my greatest lessons about caregiving have come from people who ended up in my back seat. I would pick someone up thinking I was simply taking them from one place to another, and then a conversation would begin. Someone would tell me about caring for an aging parent. Someone working in healthcare would talk about the challenges of caring for people. Someone else would share a caregiving experience I never expected to hear. There have been times when it almost felt as though God had placed the lesson I needed right there in my back seat. But God is not always that obvious to me. Sometimes there is nobody in my back seat telling me a story that suddenly makes everything clear. Sometimes I am standing in a place or facing a decision and wondering where God is in all of it.

Give Each Other a Break Scripture: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 Tip: Don’t just tell a caregiver to take a break. Look for one specific thing you can do that makes it possible for them to actually take one. Reminder: Sometimes the greatest gift we can give a caregiver is a little time when they do not have to be responsible for everything. Years ago, I worked as the administrator of an adult day care program. Every day, family caregivers would bring their loved ones to us. For several hours, they could go to work, run errands, take care of things at home, or simply have some time when they were not responsible for providing every moment of care. One day, we decided to do something special for those family caregivers. As they dropped off their loved ones, I handed them Kit Kat candy bars. There was a reason I chose Kit Kats. Many of us remember the catchy Kit Kat jingle: “Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!” It was fun and familiar, but that day the words had a much deeper meaning. We really were giving those caregivers a break. Looking back, I realize the candy bar was not really the gift. The break was the gift. For a family caregiver who spends day after day caring for someone, a few hours can mean so much. It might be enough time to go grocery shopping without rushing, have lunch with a friend, take a nap, go to an appointment, or simply sit somewhere quietly without listening for someone who needs them. For that period of time, someone else was helping carry the responsibility. I think we sometimes make caregiver support more complicated than it needs to be. We tell caregivers, “Make sure you take care of yourself,” or “You really need to take a break.” Those words are well intended, but then the caregiver goes right back to everything that needs to be done. The more helpful question might be, “What can I do that will actually give you a break?” If you know a family caregiver, offer something specific. Tell them you will take care of a chore. Bring them dinner. Sit with their loved one while they get out of the house. Give them an hour when they know someone trustworthy is there and they do not have to be responsible for everything. Instead of simply encouraging them to take a break, help create the break for them.

Tip: Before beginning an important conversation, ask, "Is this a good time?" Reminder: Respecting your time and the time of others helps you care with greater balance and intention. One lesson I have learned over the years is that timing matters. As caregivers, we often have important questions to ask or meaningful conversations we need to have. We may need to speak with a family member, a doctor, a pastor, or another caregiver about someone's care. While those conversations are important, choosing the right time to have them is just as important as the conversation itself. One concept that has helped me is time blocking. Time blocking is a common time management practice where we intentionally set aside periods of time for one specific purpose. During that time, our attention is focused on the task in front of us. A church service is a time block for worship. A meeting is a time block for discussion and planning. A doctor's appointment is a time block for healthcare. Even taking a walk can be a time block for exercise, reflection, or simply catching your breath. When we recognize these time blocks, we become better stewards of our own time while showing respect for the time of others. I have noticed this many times at church. Before the worship service begins, people are greeting one another, finding their seats, catching up with friends, and preparing for worship. You might see someone you have been hoping to talk with and think, "This is my opportunity." You begin asking an important question, but within moments someone else joins the conversation, another person stops to say hello, or the service is about to begin. No one is trying to be rude. Everyone is simply focused on the next part of their morning. The same thing happens before meetings, conferences, support groups, and community events. People are mentally preparing for what is about to begin. Once the meeting starts, everyone is focused on the agenda. When it ends, they shift their attention to getting home, returning phone calls, or heading to their next commitment. Those transition moments may seem convenient, but they are often the worst time to have an important conversation.