Latest / Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast / Honoring Caregivers: How to Find Strength, Rest, and Renewal When You're Pouring Out Constantly

Transcript

Honoring Caregivers: How to Find Strength, Rest, and Renewal When You're Pouring Out Constantly · Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Life audio.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Caring for others is one of the most beautiful expressions
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: of christ like love, yet it can also be one
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: of the most challenging. Whether someone is caring for an
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: aging parent, a chronically ill spouse, a child with special needs,
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: or a friend struggling through a difficult diagnosis, caregivers often
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: experience emotional fatigue, compassion overload, and spiritual depletion. In honor
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: of National Caregivers Day today, on your Hope Field perspective,
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: we are shining upright light and honoring a spotlight on
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: caregivers who quietly pour out strength and tenderness day after day.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: If you are a caregiver who feels seen and unseen
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: all at once, this conversation is for you. Welcome to
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: your Hope Field perspective, where it's always our goal to
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: restore hope, renew minds, and empower listeners to live in
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: their God given identity. I'm your host, doctor Michelle Banks,
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: and board certified clinical neuropsychologist, author, speaker, and fellow journeyman
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: on this trek to emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness. I'm
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: delighted you've chosen to spend a few minutes of your
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: week with us. Today, my co host Jessica Van Rochel
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: and I are going to talk about honoring caregivers, how
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: to find strength, rest, and renewal when you're constantly pouring out.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: We'll dive into that right after this brief word from
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: our sponsor, welcome back. In this episode, we want to
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: acknowledge the deep emotional and spiritual cost that comes with caregiving,
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: whether it's caring for children, spouses, parents, or someone else.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: Many caregivers love fiercely, yet carry silent burdens. They often
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: neglect their own rest while tending to the needs of others.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: They juggle responsibilities, appointments, medications, medical decisions, financial pressures, and
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: emotional strain until their own soul feels freed. If that
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: describes you, know that God sees every moment of sacrifice.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: He understands every tear cried in private. He knows how
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: heavy this calling can feel. Whether you are in a
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: short term caregiving season or you've been carrying the responsibility
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: for years, we want to help you find strength, rest,
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: and spiritual renewal. I want to encourage you that Isaiah
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: forty twenty nine assures us that He gives strength to
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: the weary and increases the power of the week, my friend,
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: that is for you. Today we are talking about caregiving,
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: the silent weight it carries, and how God offers real
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: strength to those who are worn down from continually pouring
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: out Jessica, I know that this topic is going to
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: touch many hearts.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: It truly does. This topic is powerful because so many
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: people listening either our caregivers, have been caregivers, or will
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: be caregivers in the future. The numbers are sobering. Research
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: from the National Alliance for Caregiving reports that more than
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: fifty three million Americans currently serve as caregivers in some capacity.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: That is one in five adults. The majority provide unpaid care,
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: and on average, they spend over twenty hours a week
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: supporting a loved one. For many, it becomes a second
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: full time job. Caregivers give so much of themselves physically, emotionally, mentally,
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: and spiritually. They are often the first to show up
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: and the last to stop serving. They walk into some
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: of the hardest seasons of loved ones and remain present
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: with compassion. Yet they are also some of the most
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: exhausted people walking into church or home at the end
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: of the day.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: That is so true. I've seen many walk through the
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: doors of my private practice. I've been in a caure
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: giving season before, and as a neuropsychologist, I have seen
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: countless caregivers who reach a point of burnout because their
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: own emotional and spiritual needs often remain unmet. They want
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: to do everything well, and they often feel guilty even
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: thinking about rest. Yet God created rest not as a luxury,
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: but as a divine necessity. He invites caregivers to receive
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: the strength they need directly from His presence and Jessica.
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: What surprises a lot of people is that caregivers often
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: experience worse physical and emotional health than the person they
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: are caring for. Studies consistently show that caregivers are more
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: likely to experience chronic stress, anxiety, sleep disruption, weakened immune functioning,
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: and long term health decline. In fact, caregivers who support
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: a spouse with dementia have one of the highest rates
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: of stress related illness in the nation. You know, caregiving
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: is a beautiful ministry, but it is also a risk
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: factor for someone who has no support of their own,
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: and that's.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: Why conversations like this are so important. Caregivers often do
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: not realize how overwhelmed they are until they're already close
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: to burnout. They believe they should be able to keep
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: going like the energizer bunny. They think rest is selfish.
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: They feel guilty for asking for help, but caregiving is
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: not meant to be a one person mission. Even Jesus
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: received help from Simon of Syreene when he carried the cross.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: If Jesus accepted help, then we can too. It reminds
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: me of the verse from Jeremiah, chapter thirty one, verse
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: twenty five, where God says he will refresh the weary
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: and satisfy the faint. Givers live in the constant tension
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: of loving someone deeply while holding the weight of their
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: own needs, but God sees them. Even if others overlook
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: their sacrifice, God does not.
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: I'm so glad that you mentioned the example of Jesus
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: needing help to carry the cross, because he truly had
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: the weight of the world on his shoulders as he
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: was caring for us. Let's turn our conversation to talk
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: about some of the pressures that caregivers face. Many feel
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: chronic stress from continual decision making. They can end up
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: in a place of decision fatigue. And then there's also
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: compassion fatigue, which happens when someone is constantly giving emotional
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: energy without having a chance to replenish it. And then
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: there is the very real physical tiredness from interruptive sleep
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: or long days of medical tasks. And a factor that
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: we can can't ignore is that there's loneliness because caregiving
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: can significantly limit our social connection. And then, as if
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: that's not enough, on top of that, there's guilt when
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: caregivers take even a moment for themselves.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: So really, what you're saying is the weight that caregivers
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: give really becomes really heavy and a huge burden. In fact,
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: I often hear caregivers say they cannot ask or they
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: feel they cannot ask for help because they worry they're
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: burdening others. Caregiving was never meant to be done alone.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: Scripture repeatedly emphasizes community support and shared burdens. God designed
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: his people to lift one another up, and when caregivers
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: try to do everything alone, they're carrying more than God
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: asked them to hold. We're going to take a brief
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: word from our spot. When we return, we'll talk about
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: the warning signs that a caregiver can no longer afford
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: to keep going alone. We'll be right back.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: Welcome back. Caregiving is such a tremendous ministry, but if
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: we're being honest, it can feel like a weighty burden.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: So I want to talk about warning signs that a
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: caregiver can no longer afford to keep going it alone.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: Before the break, Jessica, you were talking about the fact
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: that frequently caregivers feel like they can't ask for help.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: They don't want to extend their burden and create a
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: burden for someone else. Caregiving burnout doesn't happen overnight. Really,
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: it happens very slowly and quietly, often while someone is
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: trying to be strong for someone else. Some early signs
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: of caregiver burnout include irritability, difficulty concentratingistant fatigue, and feeling overwhelmed.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: During simple tasks, people might notice that they're becoming easily
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: frustrated and maybe even emotionally numb. And recently, Jessica, you
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: and I did an episode about emotional exhaustion and holiday burnout,
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: and we've recently done an episode about chronic stress, and
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: so many of the signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: that I just listed overlap with things that we mentioned
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: in those two episodes, and so really, what I'm hearing
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: and sensing is that stress is all around us. Yeah,
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: and it's not going to probably go away without us
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: taking some intentional steps to deal with it.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: Such a good reminder that we do have the power
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: to take those steps. There's another set of signs that
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: caregivers often experience, and those are physical symptoms. Frequent headaches,
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: stomach issues, immunity, or body aches can be indicators that
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: stress is taking a toll, and sleep problems are extremely common.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Many caregivers live in a constant state of high alert,
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: so their bodies never fully rest. Over time, the lack
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: of sleep begins to affect thinking, memory, and mood. If
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: your own health is declining, that is a sign you
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: need help. If you have ignored your own doctor's appointments,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: stopped exercising, or are developing symptoms that concern you, it
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: is time to seek support.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: And if your emotional health is deteriorating, for example, if
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: you feel anxious more often than calm, or sad more
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: often than stable, if you're crying privately and feeling alone,
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: please reach out to someone. God designed us for connection,
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: not silent suffering. And I would also add this when
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: caregivers begin to lose their ability to feel joy, or
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: when they begin to resent the role they once embraced willingly,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: that truly is a sign that they're carrying more than
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: they can manage alone. When every day feels heavy and hopeless,
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: and when someone feels like they have nothing left to give,
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: it is definitely time to reach out for support.
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: Michelle, you bring up such an important point, just that
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: awareness that if we lose our joy and if we
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: start feeling resentful, that should be like flashing warning signs
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: to get help.
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: Right.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: God never intended caregiving to be an isolating burden. Galatians
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: teaches us to carry one another's burdens that includes the
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: weight of caregiving. Asking for help is not a failure,
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: It is a biblical principle. Third, if the needs of
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: your loved one now exceed your physical ability, such as lifting, transferring,
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: or managing complex medical tasks, don't ignore that many caregivers
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: injure themselves trying to do more than their bodies can handle.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: I think that's so important because as we caregive, and
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: like you mentioned, sometimes we stop taking care of ourselves.
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: We feel like we don't have time to exercise or
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: we're not eating well, our physical bodies can suffer. But
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: the fourth thing to keep in mind is that if
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: caregiving responsibilities are affecting your relationship with your spouse or
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: your children, that's a sign that the load needs to
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: be shared. God does not ask us to sacrifice one
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: relationship to save another, because in his eyes, everyone's wellbeing matters.
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: That is profound. God does not ask us to sacrifice
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: one relationship to save another. Let's just take a moment
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: and just sit with that and consider where am I
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: sacrificing one relationship to save another. It's an important point
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: to consider because fifth, if you have begun feeling resentful
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: or emotionally disconnected, that is a powerful sign that your
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: soul is in need of restoration. You cannot pour out
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: what has not been filled.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: This has been a heavy topic, and really what we
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: want to do is honor caregivers. But it's so important
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: that as caregivers, you can recognize when it's time to
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: get some help. It's time not to go it alone.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: But we also want to extend to you biblical hope
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: for worn out caregivers. There are so many scriptures that
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: speak directly to the heart of a caregiver. Psalm seventy three,
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: verse twenty six says that even when our flesh and
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: heart fail, God is the strength of our heart. That's
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: such an incredible promise for those who feel worn down
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: and worn out.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, really is. And the psalms bring me so
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: much comfort, So I love that you shared that. Also,
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: the Book of Isaiah has taught me so much about
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: God in his heart for us. And you mentioned Isaiah
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: chapter forty, verse twenty nine at the beginning of this episode,
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: and it tells us that God gives strength to the
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: weary and increases the power of the week. Caregivers often
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: believe they must manufacture strength on their own, but God
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: is the source of supernatural strength.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: And let's face that we can't manufacture drink. We really
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: do have to be dependent on him. You mentioned the
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: psalms and how much you like them. Well, I'm eighteen
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: twenty eight says that God turns our darkness into light.
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: And the caregiving journey, as we've mentioned, can be a
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: lonely one, a weighty one, and it can feel dark
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: at times, especially when someone watches a loved one decline.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: That's such a difficult situation to be in. That's when
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: we have to trust that God brings light even into
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: these dark places.
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: Yes, and I love Jeremiah chapter thirty one, verse twenty five,
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: where God promises to refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: That is the heart of God toward caregivers. Ye, friends,
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: we're going to take a short break for our word
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: from our sponsor. After this brief break will turn our
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: attention to practical ways caregivers can renew their strength.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: All right, we want to turn our conversation to what
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: may be the most important part of this episode. If
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: you are in a caregiving situation, Let's talk about specific
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: ways that caregivers can find strength, rest, and renewal in
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: practical ways that integrate both faith and emotional wellness. Jess,
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: what comes to mind for you.
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: One of the most powerful practices is creating small moments
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: of spiritual grounding throughout the day. Even sixty seconds of
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: quiet prayer, or even attention to your breathing can calm
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: the nervous system and help the heart reconnect with God.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: Another powerful practice is We've already touched on this a
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: little bit, but it's asking for help early instead of
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: waiting for that crash or the crisis to come reach
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: out to your church or to family, or to friends,
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: or to community resources. Many churches have caregivers support teams
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: who are eager to help, but they don't know the
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: need until someone speaks up. And sometimes others may not
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: be able to do specific things. But it helps even
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: if you can just talk through it with someone.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: Oh, I think that is so good because we've referenced
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: that emotional exhaustion of course in our January episode, but
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: also that emotional burden that caregivers carry. And I know that.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: I think that caregivers are some of the strongest people
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: I know.
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: Yet they don't feel like they are.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: They don't feel like they are, and so because they
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: present so strong, we don't know when you need help.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: So that's why when it's so important to ask that
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: ask for help early on. Now, another practical tip that
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: I want to encourage caregivers to do is to create
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: a simple weekly rhythm. This might include a ten minute
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: walk outside, reading one Psalma day, listening to worship music
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: while doing chores, or and I think this is so
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: important having one guilt free hour of rest each week.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: Doing something for yourself by yourself is not selfish. It
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: is actually think of it as a gift that you're
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: giving the person you're caring for, because you're renewing your
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: own strength. These small moments, listening to worship music, taking
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: a ten minute break that one hour once a week
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: rebuilds emotional strength.
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: And I'm glad that you mentioned that. Grounding the breathing friends.
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: Go back and listen to the episode that we did
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: on how to Manage chronic stress, because caregivers are under
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: chronic stress. But I also want to encourage you to
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: pay attention to your body when you're caregiving. You tend
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: to be so focused on another person that you stop
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: paying attention to yourself. But if you're not sleeping well,
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: if you are skipping meals, if you are running on
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: pure adrenaline, your body is telling you something and God
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: created the body to signal when we need rest. Ignoring
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: those signals really only increases burnout and.
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: Then stay connected with others. Isolation makes caregiving harder. Yeah,
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: even having just one supportive friend can be a lifeline.
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: Text someone, call someone, invite someone to pray for you
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: and with you. God restores our strength through community.
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: As this episode comes to a close, Jess and I
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: both want to offer you our hope filled perspectives to
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: carry with you on your caregiving journey. We want to
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: thank you for all that you're doing. We want to
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: thank you for the sacrifice that you're making, and we
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: want you to know we see you, we recognize the
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: load that's on your shoulders. Before we close, I want you,
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: as caregivers to hear this truth. You are not responsible
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: for outcomes. We are all responsible to love well and
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: to walk faithfully, but God holds the results. So release
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: the pressure you've been carrying and be assured that God
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: sees you, evalues you, and He has promised in the
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: scripture we talked about today that He will be your
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: source of strength.
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: So encouraging, Michelle, I want to encourage caregivers to know
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: that God delights in refreshing your soul. You don't have
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: to earn rest. Rest is part of his gift to you.
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: He gently invites you to come to him to rest
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: when you are weary. He will provide for the needs
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: you feel responsible to meet. In fact, I'd like to
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: pray for you, Heavenly Father, thank you so very much
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: for this caregiver's heart, for the strength that she bears
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: for the strength that he carries. Lord, thank you for
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: the mercy you've placed in their heart too, to not
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: abandon a loved one, but to walk beside them through
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: the hard things in life. And Lord, they carry a
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: heavy burden that you can carry. So God, I pray
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: that you would carry them through this. Lord, that they
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: would look to you for strength, that they would receive
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: your rest as the gift that it is. And Lord,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: does they sit with you as they rest in you? Lord,
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: that you would fill them up to overflowing, so that
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: they serve, so that they caregive from the overflow that
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: they receive from You and Jesus the same We pray Ama.
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: Amen, friends, thank you for joining us on this episode
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: of your Hope Field Perspective. If you are a caregiver,
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: please know that you are loved and honored today. We
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: pray that you will walk away feeling seen and supported.
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: In fact, I've created a downloadable caregiver burning In fact,
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: I've created a downloadable caregiver burnout warning sign checklist for
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: you that you can find in the show notes at
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: doctor Michelle b dot com. Maybe you aren't a caregiver,
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: but you know one. I guarantee you know several If
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: you think about it, would you consider sharing this episode
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: with them so that they feel loved and supported and
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: seen and have a biblically based perspective to work from.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: I hope you'll join us again next week for another
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: episode of your hope filled perspective. Until then, it's my
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: prayer for you that you have a hope filled week
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: and that you walk in God given peace and renewed strength.
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: Your ragged and torn past may be the key to
• 22:16
  Speaker 4: God's future for you. We all endure trials, pain, and
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: hardship in this life. Too often we believe these experiences
• 22:27
  Speaker 4: disqualify us from being useful to God. But the truth
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: is your past pain and brokenness serve as preparation for
• 22:37
  Speaker 4: what God wants to do in and through you, if
• 22:42
  Speaker 4: you will surrender to entrust Him in sacred scars. Neuropsychologist
• 22:49
  Speaker 4: and fellow sufferer, doctor Michelle Thankson helps you understand the
• 22:54
  Speaker 4: suffering from a biblical perspective. Discover how the trials of
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: your life, sir, purpose reflect on the healing that God
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: has accomplished, and comfort others with the comfort God has
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: given you, just as Jesus' scars didn't disappear after his
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: resurrection and confirmed that he was who he said he
• 23:17
  Speaker 4: was and that he did what he said he'd do.
• 23:21
  Speaker 4: Our emotional or physical scars tell our story and lend
• 23:26
  Speaker 4: credence to our testimony of God's love and power. If
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: you are ready to turn your past pain into present
• 23:35
  Speaker 4: comfort and future hope, let doctor Bankson be your compassionate guide.
• 23:41
  Speaker 4: Jill Savage, host of the No More Perfect podcast in
• 23:45
  Speaker 4: author of No More Perfect Marriages, had this to say
• 23:49
  Speaker 4: about Sacred Scars. While we wish for a pain free life,
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: the dark seasons are where God invites us into the
• 23:58
  Speaker 4: most growth. In the pages of this book, you will
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: come to understand how God uses pain in powerful ways.
• 24:06
  Speaker 4: If you're human, you need this book.
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: Pick up a.
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: Copy of Sacred Scars wherever books are sold, and watch
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: God turn your pain into purpose.
• 24:21
  Speaker 3: Thank you for joining doctor Bankson for your hope build perspective.
• 24:26
  Speaker 3: We hope you are encouraged by her authenticity, vulnerability, and
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: biblical truths. If you enjoy today's conversation. When you take
• 24:34
  Speaker 3: a moment right now, open up your podcast app and
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: look for the subscribe button right next to our podcast
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: profile image. We think this podcast is best enjoyed with friends,
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: So tell a friend and click share and in your
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: podcast app and send a friend our link to share
• 24:49
  Speaker 3: Hope with them. If you have a comment, question, or
• 24:52
  Speaker 3: suggest a topic for a future show, reach out to
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: our staff at info at Hope Prevails dot org. For
• 24:58
  Speaker 3: additional resources. Information about doctor Bankson's books where free downloads,
• 25:03
  Speaker 3: or to contact her to speak at your next event,
• 25:06
  Speaker 3: please visit doctor Mishelbe dot com. Until next time, May
• 25:11
  Speaker 3: you have a hope filled week.
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: I'd like to take just a second to thank the
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: this podcast. If you go to lifeaudio dot com, you'll
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network.
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.