Prayers of a Caregiver

From Catherine Gentile
 
On Becoming Your Hands: We are your hands O Lord. Guide us to make decisions that are best for our loved ones. Help us to look beyond the seemingly endless burdens of caregiving to find joy in sharing this cross with You. Help us to know Your peace, knowing that, as Your hands, You work through us. Amen
 
On Inspiration: We thank you for sharing this, your treasury of caregiving's crosses with those of us, who hand in hand with you, Lord, trust that you will open our minds and hearts to your caregiving inspiration. Amen
 
On Confidence: O Lord, give me the confidence to accept this hiatus in my “normal” activities and embrace it as a special time, a blessing because you have chosen me to share in your caregiving work. Amen
 
On Our Support Group: Gracious Lord, we thank you for bringing us together to share our blessings, the joys and the  hardships. Let us not forget that in you everything, including dementia, works toward good. Help us grow to trust You in all things, O Lord. We place ourselves and our loved ones in your hands and trust that through you all things are possible.
 
On Working Through Betrayal: Help us to work through the betrayal that is dementia. Teach us to embrace it for it is through its challenges that we share the carrying of Your cross. Just as You endured betrayal before your passion, help us embrace the many betrayals manifested through dementia. Lead us to view it as a sharing in your cross. Help us grow in empathy so that we may deliver our care with compassion, just as You did for us as a gift of eternal love.
 
On Self Care: Dear Lord, Eternal Caregiver, help us to discern Your blessings in the smiles of our loved ones with dementia. We thank you for sharing the role of caregiver with us. Help us to grow in Your love through caregiving. When we neglect our own needs, send us Your gentle reminder to care for ourselves, too. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
 
On Loving Actions: Dear Lord, Give us the grace to show your love in our every act of caregiving. Throughout our every action, give us the graces of endurance, patience, and trust in You.  Amen
 
On Serving: O, Lord, as our caregiving pulls us from the activities of the world, help us replace those pleasures with the quiet joys of knowing we serve as Your hands. Guide us, Lord, in our quest for ways in which to comfort our loved ones. We ask this in the name of the first comforter, Mary Your Mother. Amen
 
On Decision Making: Our loving actions reflect you, O Lord, and the love You have for our loved ones with dementia. Guide the decisions we make every day and the actions we perform in Your name. Bless this, our evening together that this hour may strengthen us in you. Amen.